ABCNEWS' Bill Ritter
--> -- Bill Ritter joined 20/20as a correspondent in November 1997.
His reports have included stories on internet stalking and the potential dangers in cyberspace; an investigation into the little-known dangers of GHB, a so-called date rape drug; the effects of parental anger on children; an in-depth look at obsessive compulsive disorders that range from irrational fears of running over pedestrians to sexually based intrusive thoughts; a revealing interview with Steven Van Zandt—“Little Steven” of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band — who went from rocker and political activist to TV mobster; the dramatic stories of people who wake up during surgery; an investigation into the death of former TV Superman George Reeves; and a look at the newly created wealthy class in America.
Ritter joined ABCNEWS in January 1993. He has been host of Good Morning America/Sunday and a correspondent on Good Morning America. In June 1998, he was named weekend anchor of WABC-TV in New York. In September 1999, he was named 11:00 p.m. anchor of ABC’s flagship owned and operated station.
Ritter has covered dozens of important news stories for a variety of ABCNEWS programs, including the mob attacks and alleged sexual assault of young women in Manhattan’s Central Park following the Puerto Rican Day Parade, shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, the death of Princess Diana, the crash of TWA Flight 800, the criminal and civil trials of O.J. Simpson and the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing.
His feature reporting for Good Morning America includes revealing interviews with boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, golfers Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, former evangelist Jim Bakker and Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. He reported a five-part series on corporate downsizing and took a look at “Sex Over 50.”
Prior to joining ABC, Ritter was a reporter for KCAL-TV, the former Disney-owned independent station in Los Angeles, from June to December 1992, where his “Up Front” segment headlined the station’s successful 9:00 p.m. weeknight news broadcast, showcasing his perspective of the day’s top national or international story.
