Bill Jorgensen, a renowned New York City broadcast news anchor, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 96. He was famous for his nightly reminder on his show, “It’s 10 o’clock — do you know where your children are?”
For more than 12 years, Jorgensen served as the lead anchor for the Ten O’Clock News on WNEW, now known as Fox 5 New York. His journey to this role began in 1967 when he was invited from Cleveland’s KYW-TV to take on this new challenge. His signature sign-off, “Thanking you for your time this time, until next time,” became a hallmark of his broadcasts.
The iconic “10 o’clock” message, delivered by the late Tom Gregory, became a staple of Jorgensen’s show from the late 1960s through the 1980s.
Jorgensen’s daughter shared her memories of him in a heartfelt Facebook post. She praised his enduring “never-give-up” spirit, expressing her hope to emulate his resilience.
She did not disclose the cause or location of his passing. In her tribute, she highlighted his commitment to uncovering stories that posed threats to people and their rights, always seeking innovative ways to tell those stories.
Among the stories he covered were the pollution issues in Cleveland and the adventure of Robert Manry, an Ohio copy editor who sailed the Atlantic Ocean in a 13-foot sailboat in 1965. Jorgensen also reported on the high-profile case of Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was accused and later acquitted of murdering his pregnant wife in 1954.
In 1979, Jorgensen transitioned to WPIX-TV, where he anchored both national and local news segments. He was also among the pioneers and first anchors of the Independent Network News, produced at WPIX.
The nightly news program was co-anchored by Jorgensen, Pat Harper, and Steve Bosh until his retirement in 1987.