Bill Ritter Biography
Bill Ritter is an American Emmy Award-winning Anchor/Reporter, Host, and Correspondent working for WABC in New York City as a News Anchor. He joined the station in June 1998.
Bill Ritter Age / Birthday
Ritter was born on February 26, 1950, in Los Angeles California, United States. As a result, he is 22 years old as of 2022 and celebrates his birthday on February 26 every year.
Bill Ritter Height / Measurements
Ritter is of average body stature and stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m).
Bill Ritter Partner / Wife
Ritter is married to Kathleen Friery, a self-employed media trainer and an award-winning producer. They tied the knot on September 6, 2018. Information about their wedding is unknown. The couple shares similar careers, even overlapping at ABC news. In the year 1998, they both worked for 20/20, where Kathleen Friery served as a producer and Ritter served as a correspondent and weekend news anchor. They happily reside in New York.
Bill Ritter Kids / Children
Ritter and his spouse Kathleen are proud parents to their 3 grown children; Ella (lastborn), Owen, and Mia (firstborn). Further information about Ritter’s children is under review.
Bill Ritter Daughter Mia
Ritter’s daughter, Mia, came out clearly to his family that she was part of the LGBTQ community when she was 17 years old. Ritter says that she looked bold, and was straightforward and honest. She was not scared about how his family would react. Mia knew that her modern-day family and baby boomer parents would embrace her pronouncement of who truly she is. Ritter says that his reaction was “very proud of her daughter’s exploration, journey, and discovery.”
Ritter however had some sort of a second and internal parental reaction. He says that he somehow worried that his daughter came out into what did not seem prepared to offer her the same rights guaranteed to people who were not gay.
Bill Ritter Family / Relatives
Ritter was born to a Jewish family with his parents, Bill Ritter (father) and Ethel Ritter (mother). He was raised alongside his late brother, Bruce Ritter. His brother passed away in March 2018 due to an illness that is not identified.
Bill Ritter Education
Ritter is a graduate of The New School where he obtained a degree on May 20, 2016. He completed his studies there after her daughter’s suggestion after 4 decades of quitting school. Ritter was expelled from San Diego State University in the year 1972 for protesting the war in Vietnam. At the time of expulsion, he was one semester short of graduating.
Bill Ritter Career
Ritter serves at WABC Eyewitness News as a news anchor. He anchors the 6 and 11 PM newscasts on Saturdays and Sundays. Besides working for WABC, he works for 20/20 and ABC News as a weekday correspondent. He held the role of 6 PM news anchor in February 2001, and the 11 PM news anchor role in October 1999. Since the year 1992, he has been reporting on big and significant events on ABC News and Eyewitness News. He joined ABC News as a founding co-host of “Good Morning America/Sunday.”
Ritter has covered the Los Angeles riots and the Rodney King trial for the Fox Television Network. For 6 months (August 1991 to February 1992), Ritter worked on Entertainment Daily Journal (E.D.J.), the Fox Network’s nationally syndicated show, as a reporter. For nearly one and a half years (February 1990 – August 1991), Ritter served at KTTV-TV (Fox Television) in Los Angeles, CA as an investigative reporter. He has also served as a news anchor for KTTV’s Gulf War coverage.
Ritter started his TV career at KNSD-TV (NBC affiliate) in San Diego, CA where he served as a business reporter before transitioning to an investigative reporter. There he spent nearly 3 years (February 1987 – January 1990). He started his print journalism in the year 1972. From February 1984 to January 1987, Ritter served at The Los Angeles Times’s San Diego County edition as a reporter, before moving to the role of business editor. Ritter has also served at the San Diego Business Journal as an editor and reporter for nearly 4 years (June 1980 – January 1984).
Ritter has worked with a non-profit drug prevention and education organization, Crash, Inc. in San Diego, CA where he worked on board, for a decade (1980 – 1990). From 1984 to 1985, he served as an advisory board member of the San Diego State University Business School.
Bill Ritter Salary
Ritter receives an annual income ranging between $30,000 and $90,000.
Bill Ritter Net Worth
Through Ritter’s career as an Anchor/Reporter, Host, and Correspondent, he has been able to accumulate a net worth that ranges between $1 Million and $ 5 Million.
Bill Ritter Concussion, Health
Ritter hit his head after slipping on ice in the year 2017. He got a concussion. This changed his life and he walks with more caution in this weather. For 2 weeks, Ritter disappeared from ABC7 News and many of his viewers and fans wondered where he was. He was at home on doctor’s orders and recovering from the concussion.
Bill Ritter Haircut, Afro
Ritter had a big puffy hair afro in the early 1970s. He was working as a California-based intern cub reporter at the time. On March 20, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Andrew Cuomo (Governor) ordered barbershops and hair salons to be closed in New York City as part of the lockdown. Ritter promised his fans and ABC7 news colleagues that he would not have a haircut until the unshutting of barber shops. Ritter ultimately had his haircut for the very first time in months at Jancy Barbershop in the Bronx, on Monday, June 22, 2021.
Bill Ritter COVID-19
Ritter was diagnosed with coronavirus disease and he announced his recovery on April 12th, 2020. Further information about his experience with COVID is under review.
Bill Ritter Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Ritter is active on his social media accounts. He has about 44K followers on his Facebook Page, about 36.4K followers on his Twitter account, and around 17.1K followers on his Instagram account.
Bill Ritter WABC – ABC7NY
Ritter works at WABC – ABC7NY where he works with his fellow colleagues who are anchors, reporters, and meteorologists and they include;
- N.J. Burkett
- Crystal Cranmore
- Naveen Dhaliwal
- Josh Einiger
- Lauren Glassberg
- Toni Yates
- Darla Miles
- Mike Marza
- CeFaan Kim
- Dan Krauth
- Chanteé Lans
- Heather O’Rourke
- Stacey Sager