WABC-TV ‘Eyewitness News' announces major lineup reshuffle involving veteran anchor Bill Ritter: ‘Feels like a good time to make this change'
Longtime 'Eyewitness News' anchor Bill Ritter stepped back from the 5 p.m. broadcast on WABC-TV Channel 7, making way for a new co-anchor while continuing his presence in the station's evening lineup.
Ritter, 75, passed the torch to reporter and anchor Mike Marza, who joined Sade Baderinwa as co-anchor of the 5 p.m. edition of 'Eyewitness News' on Tuesday.
'I've been anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast since 2001, and I did the 11 p.m. show from 1999 until just a couple of years ago,' Ritter told The Post.
5 Longtime 'Eyewitness News' anchor Bill Ritter is stepping back from the 5 p.m. broadcast on WABC-TV Channel 7.
ABC7NY
5 Ritter this week passed the baton to Mike Marza (left), who will co-anchor the 5 p.m. hour of 'Eyewitness News.'
ABC7NY
'That's three shows a night for a long time. I'm almost 75-and-a-half — it feels like a good time to make this change.'
Ritter, a mainstay of New York City television journalism for decades, emphasized that he's not retiring. He will continue co-anchoring 'Eyewitness News at 6 p.m.' on weekdays alongside Liz Cho and hosting 'Up Close,' the Sunday morning political affairs program.
Ritter had succeeded legendary local newsman Bill Beutel on the 11 p.m. newscast.
Marza joined WABC in 2019 after working at KSHB in Kansas City.
5 Ritter, who at one point was co-anchoring three hours of nightly newscasts on WABC-TV, is scaling back his schedule.
ABC7NY
'We have a lot of people here who've been at Channel 7 for a long time, myself included, and now we're looking toward the future. I'll still be working here for a while longer,' Ritter told The Post.
He went on to note the importance of mentorship and succession.
5 Ritter will continue co-anchoring the 6 p.m. hour alongside Liz Cho.
X/Bill Ritter
'I want to get these younger people on the shows — it's a big thing,' he said. 'I'm happy we're going to start opening the door for some other people. I'm going to be here and work with them, and it's going to be great.'
The transition is especially meaningful for Ritter on a personal level.
5 Ritter and Cho have been co-anchoring the news for more than two decades.
'The same day this change happened, I became a grandfather. It's a moving thing,' he shared. 'No one has ever been as old as I am on Eyewitness News. I want to spend more time with my family, my kids, and now my new grandchild. But I'll still be here.'
Reflecting on his decades-long partnership with Cho, he added, 'She's been doing the 6 with me longer than any anchor team in the history of Channel 7. We started together in July 2003, so this month marks our 22nd anniversary.'
'I'm honored to be part of Channel 7, the biggest station in the country, and I'm going to continue being part of it. It's nice to get this kind of recognition — and it's not for a funeral! I'm still here.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
All-American Rejects' Tyson Ritter planning to go ‘full-frontal' on OnlyFans
All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter is planning to go 'full-frontal' on OnlyFans. The 41-year-old rocker shared the career update while promoting the band's latest singles. 'I'm starting an OnlyFans. And the All-American Rejects are behind me doing it,' he told GQ in a new interview. Ritter said his OnlyFans followers can expect 'full-frontal rock and roll,' though he kept what he meant by that deliberately vague. Subscriptions are currently free for exclusive content, though Ritter joked that he wouldn't be against charging '69 cents' just because he's 'cheeky.' The decision to launch an account on the platform, typically known for its sexual content, came after the band went viral for performing 12 surprise concerts over the course of 10 days at tiny venues across the country. 'I don't think anybody would have expected the All-American Rejects to make a ripple in the water ever again,' Ritter said about their recent resurgence. 'So the excitement behind this whole thing is like, Where else can we be disruptive?' Ritter said they've always been a band who's got 'a tongue bursting through the cheek,' so why not ride the wave with 'a little peen bursting through a zipper' on OnlyFans. The All-American Rejects were formed in Oklahoma in 1999 and reached peak popularity in the mid-to-late aughts with hits like 'Gives You Hell' and 'Dirty Little Secret.' Their last studio album, 'Kids in the Street,' was released in 2012. Following an unofficial hiatus that began around 2020, the band announced their latest album this March. Their new songs 'Sandbox' and 'Easy Come Easy Go' were both released on Thursday. A 'dirty version' of the latter track is available on OnlyFans.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
2000s Rock Icon Makes Jaw-Dropping Career Move & Fans Are Here for It
2000s Rock Icon Makes Jaw-Dropping Career Move & Fans Are Here for It originally appeared on Parade. All-American Rejects frontman made a jaw-dropping career move by joining OnlyFans—and fans of the 2000s rock icon are here for it. On June 4, Ritter, 41, revealed the controversial update in an interview with GQ. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "I'm starting an OnlyFans. And the All-American Rejects are behind me doing it, and it's really nice to be supported by my band in this wild adventure of 2025 for us," the "Dirty Little Secret" singer told the publication. Evidently, the decision came after the band went viral for its pop-up concerts—12 shows in 10 days—ahead of the release of their new album in 2026. "I don't think anybody would have expected the All-American Rejects to make a ripple in the water ever again," Ritter told GQ of their sudden reemergence. "And so the excitement behind this whole thing is like, Where else can we be disruptive?" Ritter added, "We've always been a band who's got a tongue bursting through the cheek when it comes to our music. So why not, you know, do a little peen bursting through a zipper?" In a June 5 TikTok video, the "Swing, Swing" singer joked about his OF decision, "Gotta pay for these house party shows somehow." In the comments of a GQ TikTok slideshow of Ritter's revealing photoshoot, All-American Rejects fans sounded off on his latest career move. One user declared, "My middle school inner child is screammiiinnnggg," as a second admitted, "Well my high school heart is freaking out right now. 😂." Someone else reacted, "A small step for Tyson Ritter. A giant step for straight womankind." Another joked, "A dirty little secret we didn't need." "👀I'm looking respectfully," a different TikTok user insisted. Meanwhile, yet another fan confessed, "Actually going feral over this." Next: 2000s Rock Icon Makes Jaw-Dropping Career Move & Fans Are Here for It first appeared on Parade on Jun 5, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
All-American Rejects' frontman Tyson Ritter teases 'full-frontal' on OnlyFans
All-American Rejects' frontman Tyson Ritter teases 'full-frontal' on OnlyFans Show Caption Hide Caption Watch as All-American Rejects perform surprise show Less than 30 hours after the show was announced, hundreds attended the All-American Rejects' surprise show in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter wants to bare it all. The lead singer of the emo pop-rock band is starting an OnlyFans, he reveals. He's coy on the details, though, telling GQ in an interview published June 4 that fans can "expect full-frontal rock and roll with all access" on the risqué content site. "The All-American Rejects are behind me doing it, and it's really nice to be supported by my band in this wild adventure of 2025 for us," Ritter said, noting the band's viral house party shows and new album have put a battery in their back. "I don't think anybody would have expected the All-American Rejects to make a ripple in the water ever again." Ritter previously told USA TODAY that their house party tour – a string of impromptu concerts in everywhere from backyards to barns – started as a "rite of passage moment" shared with University of Southern California students. "It feels incredible and indescribable right now. It's from this hope to have something to say again as a band and present to an audience we didn't resonate with anywhere but radio and MTV," he said. "To be able to put out new music and find our footing as a band with this activation, I'm so beside myself with gratitude." All-American Rejects singer answers burning questions about those viral pop-up shows The momentum has inspired a unique way of getting more plugged in, with OnlyFans. "The excitement behind this whole thing is like, 'Where else can we be disruptive?' We've always been a band who's got a tongue bursting through the cheek when it comes to our music. So why not ..." he told GQ, making an explicit joke suggesting the page would include nudity. But Ritter doesn't actually suggest NSFW content would be included in his subscription; instead, he seems to be offering a way for All-American Rejects followers to connect with the band unfiltered and outside of traditional platforms, including concerts and social media. "It's a platform that is offering an experience where the artist can set the price, and it's artists-to-fans," Ritter told the outlet, highlighting OnlyFans' innocent start before explicit content took over. "There's no middleman, there's no subscription costs." As for Ritter's account, "maybe you'll pay 69 cents just because we're little cheeky cats." The band recently released "Sandbox" and "Easy Come, Easy Go," the first two singles from their first album in almost 14 years. They will tour more conventionally starting Aug. 10 as openers on the Jonas Brothers' stadium tour. The singer lamented the price of being a music fan today. "Some of these concerts are like $300, and then in order to get the closer experience, the tier system goes through the roof," Ritter said. "We're not trying to offer a VIP meet and greet that you just empty your account and max out a credit card. I heard some people have credit cards now just for their concert expenditures. Like, what ... ?" The frontman appeared dismayed by the state of hyper-commercialization in music. "When art becomes content, you are commodifying inspiration, and you are destroying our culture by not sincerely approaching your gift," he said. "All I can do, as the elder statesman, man, is just sit back and say, 'How can we scream in this vacuum for the kid in his garage?'" Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri
