Veteran New York City broadcast news anchor Bill Jorgensen, remembered for his show’s nightly admonishment, “It’s 10 o’clock — do you know where your children are?” died on Wednesday at age 96.
Jorgensen was the founding anchor of the Ten O’Clock News on WNEW, now Fox 5 New York, which he hosted for over 12 years. He was recruited from Cleveland’s KYW-TV in 1967 to fill the slot. He signed off nightly with “Thanking you for your time this time, until next time.”
The “10 o’clock” message was read on Jorgensen’s cast by the late Tom Gregory. It aired from the late 1960s through the 1980s.
Jorgensen’s daughter remembered him in a Facebook post.
“His ‘never-give-up’ spirit lasted until his end of life, and I just hope to be able to follow his example as long as possible,” his daughter, Rebekah Jorgensen, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. She did not give the cause of death or location.
“I grew up knowing him, behind the scenes, as a man deeply committed to finding the story that put people and their rights in danger, intent on finding innovative ways of telling it,” she said.
His daughter recalled his coverage of environmental stories including Cleveland pollution, as well as the story of Robert Manry, a copy editor from Ohio who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1965 in a 13-foot sailboat.
He also reported on the famous case of Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was accused and then acquitted of his pregnant wife’s 1954 murder.
Jorgensen moved from WNEW to WPIX-TV in 1979, where he anchored national and local segments. He later was one of the co-founders and first anchors of the Independent Network News, which was produced at WPIX.
The nightly broadcast was helmed by Jorgensen, Pat Harper, and Steve Bosh. He retired in 1987.