Emmy-winning journalist and longtime New York television news anchor, Ernie Anastos, passed away at the age of 82 on 11 March. His family confirmed the news of his death to station WABC. His work spanned nearly 5 decades, during which he worked for New York City stations ABC 7, CBS 2, Fox 5 and UPN 9 (now My9).
While making the announcement about Ernie Anastos’ death, WABC anchor Bill Ritter during the March 12 broadcast said, “He was a news legend in New York and throughout the tri-state. He was also a news legend here at Channel 7 Eyewitness News. Tonight, we remember him,” adding, “He was something unique and no matter your politics.”
A renowned anchor, he covered several major happenings, including September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack and the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic. He even interviewed three US Presidents, including Jimmy Carter, George HW Bush and Bill Clinton.
Ernie Anastos, who left a lasting impact on New York journalism, in an interview with Bill Ritter had described what being an anchor meant to him, “They’ll tell you about, perhaps, a comment that you would have made, something very personal. Something that makes you really understand that they were watching this thing. They weren’t just flipping, just passing by. They were sitting down and paying attention to what you were talking about. That’s very personal.”
Born in New Hampshire
Born on 12 July 1943 in Nashua, New Hampshire, Ernie Anastos pursued a BA degree in Sociology from Northeastern University. After graduation, he worked as a newsman at WRKO and WROR in Boston and then joined WPRI-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, as an anchor. In June 1978, he started working for WABC-TV in New York. After spending eleven years with the Television station, he took over as WCBS-TV’s lead anchor in May 1989.
While anchoring and hosting various projects between 1995 to 2000, Anastos got involved in radio and TV broadcast ownership. A prolific journalist, he received several honorary doctorate degrees. Manhattanville College, Marist College, Sacred Heart University and New York Institute of Technology awarded him with the honorary degrees.
He secured multiple accolades during his lifetime for his exceptional work, including Ellis Island Medal of Honor, New Yorker of the Year Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, a National Father of the Year Award, Emmy Lifetime Award and Edward R Murrow Award for excellence in writing. This is in addition to 30 Emmy Awards and nominations.
Proprietor of the Saratoga Springs, New York-based radio station WJKE, Anastos bought several other stations in the Capital District of New York State and later entered the eastern New England media market.
