Longtime New York and general Tri-State area residents are mourning the loss of legendary news anchor Ernie Anastos. He spent decades appearing on air, including on several of the area’s biggest networks, earning dozens of Emmy nominations and wins. He was 82 years old. Now, many are paying tribute, including fellow New York legend Rosanna Scotto.
ABC 7 NY, where Anastos spent 11 years as an Eyewitness News anchor, announced his death on March 12. The Hindustan Times reports that the legendary on-air personality passed away after a battle with pneumonia.
GettyTributes Are Pouring In For Ernie Anastos
Ernie is considered a staple of New York news, having been welcomed into homes for decades. Because of this, many of his fans and colleagues are paying tribute to his legacy. For starters, according to Page Six, legendary New York on-air personality Rosanna Scotto issued a statement.
She said, “When I was in college, I had the opportunity to be introduced to Ernie and ask him what it would take to get into the TV business.” Scotto then recalled him being “very gracious with his time and advice.”
She continued, “Lo and behold, a number of years later, I had the honor of anchoring with Ernie on the 10 o’clock news. He was a terrific newsman—compassionate and fair.” In the end, Scotto said, “We are all heartbroken to hear that he’s passed.”
A fan stated on X, “Oh, this is a blow. RIP Mr. Anastos, I GREW UP on him and Brenda Blackmon on UPN 9 News.”
Fellow reporter Brendan Keefe said, “Absolute legend. I watched him on WABC as a kid & worked with him as a reporter at WCBS. He was generous and kind. One of the all-time greats. RIP”
Another longtime viewer wrote, “Sadness, and Icon, someone who commanded trust when he spoke, not like all the scumbags you employ now.”
Someone else said, “I loved watching Ernie growing up and more recently hearing his positive words. So sad to hear of his passing.”
His Legacy Will Never Be Forgotten
According to SL Live, Anastos started his career in 1978 with New York City’s WABC. He spent 11 years with the station before leaving in 1989. After that, he also spent time on stations such as WCBS and WNYW Fox 5.
Throughout his career, he won several Emmy Awards and received the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2011. More recently, in 2023, he launched the“Positively Ernie” podcast, with the latest episode having been released on March 10.
