Ernie Anastos, the Emmy-winning anchor who became one of New York’s most recognizable local news figures, has died at 82.
His wife, Kelly Anastos, confirmed that he died early on Thursday morning at Northern Westchester Hospital from pneumonia.
Anastos anchored at several New York stations over five decades and became a trusted presence for viewers across the tristate area. Colleagues cited his integrity and commitment to truth in various tributes, with one reporter saying Anastos had earned a place on any Mount Rushmore of New York news anchors.
His career spanned WABC/7, WCBS/2, WWOR/9 and WNYW/5, reflecting an uncommon cross-station tenure in New York’s competitive local TV news market.
Ernie Anastos’ NYC Broadcasting Career
Ernie Anastos was the only anchor in New York history to have led the evening news at all three of the city’s major network flagship stations—ABC 7, CBS 2 and Fox 5—over a career spanning more than 40 years.
Born July 12, 1943, in Nashua, New Hampshire, Anastos graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in sociology. He began as a reporter for Boston radio stations before landing his first TV job at WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island.
He joined WABC-TV in 1978 and served as an Eyewitness News anchor for 11 years. In 1989, he moved to WCBS-TV, where he anchored through the mid-1990s. After a brief hiatus, he returned to CBS 2 in 2001 and led the network’s local coverage of the September 11 attacks. In 2005, he moved to Fox 5 (WNYW).
His reporting portfolio included coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he anchored the night WABC confirmed John Lennon had been killed, later appearing in a 2020 Eyewitness News documentary about Lennon’s death.
He accumulated more than 30 Emmy Awards and nominations, including the Emmy Lifetime Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in writing. The New York Times described him as “the ubiquitous anchorman,” and he was also notable for being the United States’ first Greek American news anchorman.
Anastos left the Fox 5 anchor chair in 2019 to enroll at Harvard Business School. In his later years, he hosted the nationally syndicated radio show Positively America on WABC-AM, promoting uplifting stories.
He is survived by his wife, daughter Nina Floyd, son Phillip Anastos and four grandchildren.
Tributes to Ernie Anastos
“He was something unique, and no matter your politics, Ernie was trusted,” WABC anchor Bill Ritter said on air. “Reporting the news, reporting truth and facts, that’s what Ernie believed in,” Ritter added. He also shared a note Anastos had sent two weeks earlier: “Hi Bill, love watching you and stay happy and healthy! Ernie.”
WNYW said it felt “profound sadness” at his passing: “An Emmy Award-winning journalist and beloved former Fox 5 news anchor, his voice, integrity, and lasting impact on New York journalism will never be forgotten.”
CBS News’ Tony Aiello said, “If there was a Mount Rushmore for news anchors in New York, Ernie would be one of the four faces,” adding that he was a pro who had brought out the best in every co-anchor he was ever paired with.
In his final post on March 3, Anastos wrote, “Now more than ever we need to promote and protect the truth!”
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