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Pretty sure it was a one off since Philly was hosting its first World Cup game this year. I believe she had also been off the past two weeks. Trish Hartman has on occasion also sat alongside him, as has Sharrie.

CNBC reports.

Yeah I know 2 & 4 got to react live, 5 had late news but I don't know if they hit 11:30, I DO know they also went rolling coverage, 11 might have online but OTA they I assume broke into Seinfeld (and they pre-empted the Honeymooners, something I didn't know they were capable of doing), 7 definately had coverage online although that might have started just after, they had a box cover the outside of the picture to say so which looked oddly closer to channel 5's graphics package than 7's...the coverage popped on OTA after Inside the NBA ended, close to 1 AM (oddly started with a breaking news bumper rather than the 11pm open despite the newscast being scheduled after the game) Of the two I saw, Channel 4 seemed to actually call the final play of the game, Channel 2 i think did the same to an extent but they seemed to be somewhat in disbelief. I have to check if I actually did get a DVR of Channel 5

The stations should really post that, it would be epic to see.

Missing from this of course is the reaction from the anchor desk the moment the knicks won (i had been dvring the various 11pm newscasts since i wanted to have the reactions should the knicks have won (of course, they did) but didn't get the whole reaction since the DVR cut off where SNL would've started). 2 was also at the anchor desk when the buzzer sounded and they got pretty emotional there.

Sarah Bloomquist was reporting live from the Linc for the World Cup during the 6pm show tonight. Now she's back in the studio at 10pm to co-anchor with Walter. I wonder if it's just for the special occasion (plus there's been a lot of news/weather this weekend), or if she's moving back to Sunday nights.

News Active 3 has the post Knicks victory broadcasts from the big three local stations uploaded. Here is WNBC's coverage. Loving the Knicks themed desk.

He sounded rough for a few years...he's also on less of the O&Os (I know he's been off WPVI)

Its a remarkably repeated history, full circle 1999 analog moment in both respects.

Charlie van Dyke is sounding rough… yikes.

And this morning‘s talent open with the NBA champions graphics. ScreenRecording_06-14-2026 11-46-47_1.mov

understandable. I meant in the days after perhaps after the parade, not the day of. History repeats itself. Ritter succeeded Beutel in stages under (eventual) similar circumstances, just months after the Knicks and the Spurs were in the NBA finals.

It is a shame, but perhaps given that it wasn't certain the knicks would win tonight until the final 8 seconds...I can see why he didn't wait...that and he probably wouldn't want to upstage them if he announced it immediately after.

I wish Bill could've stayed through the Knicks win, one last happy NY story before the tragic circumstances forcing his retirement.

2, 4, 5, and 11 all have (or at least had as of midnight) special reports going in (2 4 and 5 leading out of their 11pm/late 10pm newscasts)...7 of course broadcasts the finals and thus their coverage is online-only until inside the NBA ends at which point Eyewitness News is scheduled

I know that Bill Ritter stepping down is the main issue of concern right now, but the Knicks just won the NBA Finals with a 94-90 win and Channel 7 is all hands on deck tonight with Sade Baderinwa and Mike Marza leading the coverage. I’m sure that this Knicks win will be putting a smile on Ritter’s face this weekend, especially with everything he is dealing with right now.

Very sad. My dad is suffering from dementia, so this announcement made me very sad.

Monday will be the first 6:00pm newscast on WABC-TV without a Bill sitting at the anchor desk permanently in nearly 56 years.

Being old sucks, man. Sad to see Bill go not on his own terms. Part of my childhood basically forced out of a job due to nature being an ass

I remember working in KYW's street front studio at 5th & Market. Being so close to all of that glass, the audio wasn't always the best. Between that and the daylight management, it was more hassle than it was worth, in my opinion. In addition, the wireless mics on the tour busses were on the same frequency as our production belt packs. If a bus got stuck at the light, the tour spiel would step completely over us. We did entire segments where the intercom was completely useless and we did the show on instinct. Good times!

Bill Ritter was and still is the face of Eyewitness News in the 21st century and there is no questioning that. Downstate New York, northern New Jersey, and southwest Connecticut residents opened the century in 2000 with him, closed the first quarter with him, and have already started the second quarter with him. Two of my aunties have been living there in the New York area (Borough Park, Brooklyn and Copiague, Suffolk County) since the early 1990s, and they have watched Ritter on both the network and local levels through the good and bad times. A lot of people get triggered when he inserts his opinions into the newscast, and their feelings are valid, but a lot of long tenured anchors tend to go off script a bit anyway, so I don’t really make it bother me. I hope his situation improves soon because Alzheimer’s disease is very destructive to one’s health.

I just have to say its a bit heartbreaking and bittersweet to witness this moment. That moment when Bill Ritter decidedly left his post which such honor and dignity. Its a testament to who he is. He seems to be quite a remarkable human outside of the broadcasting space. He is well respected as we saw other outlets like WCBS, and others taking the time to mention this just is a testament to the amazing human he is. Bill has had some tough shoes to fill when his namesake, Bill Beutel left the job to him 27 years ago. He did just that to the best of his ability. He did what he set out to do 27 years ago and now it is time for him to pass this baton along to the new generation as we were eluding to. He gave it his all. Bill is a very special person for New Yorkers. His voice and his personality really was compelling. His reassurance with his warmth and personality, humility and dignity is not something we come across often in this industry and he had no shame in displaying that over the years. It made us feel like everything was going to be okay in the end with his delivery of the story. He is really pure and as wholesome as one can be and had such gravitas which I don't think anyone else has quite just yet its something that takes time to build and he certainly did that during his tenure at WABC. He truly upheld the high standard that his predecessor Bill Beutel (may he continue to rest in peace) passed on to Bill Ritter who he too now is passing on to the next. He's shown his vulnerability to us and is now seated with the other legends that we all knew and love. But for Bill its a little heartbreaking for me to see this because it kinda feels like he departed a little too soon. He certainly had a lot more to give and thats where it feels a bit sad for me. Over the years as a child and to this day as a near middle aged adult. Channel 7 was always on in the background, my parents would turn the channel it was a definitive part of my early life, and to this day I've always been a loyal viewer, the voices of these legends are etched in my memory and will always be forever. I've always knew that I was lucky to witness the professionalism this station continues to uphold the diversity and the professionalism of the individuals that work there it is a snapshot of what New York is at its best the diversity and the melting pot of different backgrounds coming together to deliver a product so profound which is why they continue to be the most watched station in the nation. WABC created a standard that help shaped the rest of this country and possibly the world. It brought me to these forums to have these compelling discussions about how these stations work behind the scenes and I really truly mean that. Bill got us through some of our darkest times the unforgettable 9/11 attacks that changed our world today, the Blackout of 2003, Hurricane Sandy, COVID, these are the stories that shaped our city he delivered them with such grace. It is truly an end of an era as we know it with his departure, sure we will see other anchors and other personalities mold in the coming years but we will never quite see anyone like him again, he will be extraordinarily missed. Im glad he's going to remain with us while he shares his journey with us and hopefully he gets some more years to spend with his family and his beloved people in his life. Thank You Bill!

Awww not Bill. I’m not from New York but remember him as a reporter and anchor at KTTV right here in his hometown of Los Angeles back in the 90s, a great reporter back then. Bill was unique in that he was an Angeleno working in New York. Oftentimes, it’s New Yorkers who move to LA, but Bill anchoring the news in New York, you wouldn’t think he was a guy from the laid back aura of Southern California. He demonstrated poise, compassion, and grit, requirements to succeed in the intense environment of New York City. Alzheimer’s is such an insidious disease, and for him to share this painful news and continue to work to report on it is a testament to his poise, compassion, and grit. I am hopeful his coverage gets national and global attention as he works persistently to raise awareness, empower people with this disease, their families, loved ones, caregivers, and communities working to find a better way. We have not seen the last of Bill.

I could tell that something was off with him the last few months. He seemed a little frail and forgetful. And then when Liz was off they started having subs. Hopefully treatments help and the progression is extremely slow. Curious as to who will succeed him at 6pm. On airtime alone, Sandra would appear to be the choice as she is only on for 1 hour each day, whereas Liz, Sade, and Mike all are on 1.5 hours, and David is on 2 hours. David, however, seems to be the most frequent fill-in. And I wouldn’t rule Mike out either.

He and NBC are 100 this year. RIP!