Longtime New York City TV anchor announces retirement after revealing Alzheimer’s diagnosis | New York

A longtime New York City television news anchor has announced his sudden retirement from the airwaves after revealing he has early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Bill Ritter, a veteran of ABC’s New York station WABC, has anchored the main evening news in New York since 2001 and has become a familiar face to millions of residents.

However, on Friday night, the 76-year-old actor announced his diagnosis and said he was resigning from his position.

“I will sorely miss reporting to all of you with facts and truth, no matter where it falls,” Ritter said. “It was an honor to do this. But for now, I wish you health and peace, let’s take care of each other.”

Ritter added: “They say the treatments I’m receiving are keeping the disease at bay, at least for now. But there’s no guarantee of that because there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s yet.”

Ritter, who lost his father to the same disease, said he would continue to report on the issue.

“This station wants to delve deeper into the rising tide of Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases, including how it affects patients and their families, how the price of treatment and care is unaffordable for patients, and how this country can begin to change that,” he said.

Ritter joined WABC in 1998. His previous career included stints at the Los Angeles Times and local television in California. He began hosting the 11pm newscast on ABC in 1999 and then the 6pm newscast in 2001.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that affects the brain, affecting memory, thinking and language skills. According to research, approximately 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.