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Emmy award-winning television news anchor Ernie Anastos, who anchored the evening news for New York's four flagship stations ABC 7, CBS 2, FOX 5 and My9, has died at the age of 82.
"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," FOX 5 wrote on its X account.
Anastos was reported to have died of pneumonia at Northern Westchester Hospital early Thursday (March 12) morning, his wife confirmed to CBS 2.
Anastos' on-air career spanned decades, having covered numerous notable events including the 9/11 terror attacks and COVID-19 pandemic, and earned him 30 Emmy Awards, including the prestigious Lifetime Emmy Award. The legendary anchor began his career in the New York market at ABC 7 from 1978 to 1989 before stints with CBS 2 from 1989 to 1995 and 2001 to 2005, My9 (formerly UPN 9) from 1995 to 2000 and FOX 5 from 2005 to 2019, at which point he enrolled at the Harvard Business School to study a curriculum of leadership and management courses.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for news anchors in New York, Ernie would be one of the four faces," said CBS News New York's Tony Aiello. "He worked at four stations. He paired well with every co-anchor they ever put him with because he was such a pro."