Anastos died on March 11 at the age of 82. His family confirmed the news to WABC the following day.
Born on July 12, 1943, Anastos started his career in Boston radio in the mid-1970s before moving to television as an anchor at WPRI in Providence, RI. He joined WABC in 1978, where he was named anchor of its 11 p.m. Eyewitness News that fall. After adding the 5 p.m. newscast to his duties, he remained in that role until 1982. He was then replaced by Tom Snyder, who had recently finished a nine-year run as the host of NBC’s Tomorrow.
Today, we’re remembering Ernie Anastos. The New York news icon has died at the age of 82. Anastos spent 11 years as an anchor at Eyewitness News.https://t.co/QYijTWWoA8pic.twitter.com/yUtWYn4pRl
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) March 12, 2026
Anastos briefly co-anchored a 4:30 newscast at WABC before returning to the station’s main anchor desk when Snyder relocated to Los Angeles. He remained with the network until 1989.
Anastos joined rival station WCBS as its lead anchor about a month after leaving WABC, where he hosted the 11 p.m. news until the mid-1990s. For the next five years, he shifted his focus to radio and TV ownership through his Anastos Media Group.
Anastos made his way back to WCBS in 2001, resuming his role as lead anchor for the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. During this time, he was one of the anchors for the station’s coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks, which included the attack on the World Trade Center, less than five miles from the studio.
In 2005, Anastos signed a five-year, $10-million contract with rival Fox affiliate WNYW-TV to anchor its evening newscasts. He remained at the station for 15 years before leaving to attend Harvard Business School.
Throughout his career, Anastos earned more than 30 local News Emmys and received an Edward R. Murrow Award for broadcast excellence. In 2024, he was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.