Ernie Anastos, Legendary New York News Anchor, Dead at 82 — Cause of Death Was Pneumonia
New York lost its most familiar face Thursday morning. Ernie Anastos, the Emmy-winning anchor who spent nearly five decades delivering the news to millions of New Yorkers, died of pneumonia on March 12 at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. He was 82.
Cause of Death: Pneumonia After Respiratory Hospitalization
Anastos had been hospitalized for respiratory complications in the days leading up to his death. The official cause was pneumonia. His wife, Kelly, confirmed the news directly to CBS reporters. "The cause was pneumonia," she said. No other conditions have been cited by the family.
His family released a brief statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support and requesting privacy during their mourning.
Six Decades Across Four Stations
Anastos was born July 12, 1943, in Nashua, New Hampshire, and built a six-decade career as one of New York City's most recognized and trusted broadcasters — anchoring evening newscasts at WABC, WCBS, WNYW Fox 5, and WWOR.
He started at WABC in 1979 and spent the next 11 years there before moving through WCBS and eventually finishing his on-air career at Fox 5. Along the way he collected more than 30 Emmy Awards and a Lifetime Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The resume goes deeper than nightly news. He hosted the radio show Positively Ernie on WABC 770 AM, created the television program Positively America, wrote books aimed at young readers, and interviewed U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Newsroom He Built — and the Colleagues Who Loved Him
Tributes from his former stations arrived within hours. CBS News New York's Tony Aiello put it plainly. "If there was a Mount Rushmore for news anchors in New York, Ernie would be one of the four faces," Aiello said. "He worked at four stations. He paired well with every co-anchor they ever put him with because he was such a pro."
The warmth was not just professional mythology. CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer recalled: "When I made the switch from print to TV, I was terrified to go on the set. So he knew this and he would hand me a rose, throw a pencil at me — one time he threw a paperclip at me."
CBS News New York's Thomas Busch added: "You never knew when he was going to break out in a song or just a little dance or something around the newsroom. We laughed. Lots of times, we laughed inappropriately on the air."
A Greek-American Institution and a City's Trusted Voice
Anastos was a proud son of New York's Greek community. Tony Aiello noted: "You couldn't go into a Greek diner anywhere in New York for a generation and not see a picture of a smiling Ernie Anastos hanging there behind the cashier."
He covered New York through some of its darkest hours, including the September 11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, always projecting a calm, reassuring presence on camera.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a tribute on social media. "Legendary and iconic barely begin to capture Ernie Anastos. An Emmy-winning anchor, a trusted voice in New York, and a role model in the craft of journalism. May we remember him with the respect and admiration he so deeply earned," Mamdani wrote.
Fox 5, his final professional home, was direct in its statement. "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Ernie Anastos, who died at the age of 82. 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."
