Bill Jorgensen

Bill Jorgensen (born 1927) was the founding and longtime anchor of New York City's WNEW-TV's (now WNYW Fox 5) "Ten O'Clock News" from its inception on March 13, 1967 until he left in the spring of 1979 [cite news|last=|first=|title=Bill Jorgensen Quits as WNEW Newsman|publisher=New York Times|date=1979-03-15|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ] Jorgensen moved to WPIX-TV, also in New York City, where he anchored the news until his retirement in 1987 He Is 80 Years Old. [cite news|last=|first=|title=Bill Jorgensen to Become ‘Action News’ Co-Anchor|publisher=New York Times|date=1979-04-06|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ]

The Ten O'Clock News

When WNEW-TV began producing the "Ten O'Clock News", no other commercial television stations had a prime time newscast, though. New York Times television critic Jack Gould described the newscast as "a thoroughly professional news summary" due in part to "Mr. Jorgensen's durably pleasing style and demeanor. He suggests authority without affectation." [cite news|last=Gould|first=Jack|title=The New Course of Channel 5 Co-Anchor|publisher=New York Times|date=August 26, 1967|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ] The program was perhaps best known for the station break that preceded the newscast, where Tom Gregory announced: "It's 10 P.M. Do you know where your children are?"

The "Ten O'Clock News" on WNEW followed a talk show hosted by Merv Griffin and was followed by a local talk show hosted by Alan Burke. Gould described the acerbic Burke as "a piece of sandpaper wired for sound." Jorgensen was succeeded at WNEW by John Roland. Prior to the "Ten O'Clock News", Jorgensen was a reporter for KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV) and then WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. His signature signoff was "I'm Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until next time."

Jorgensen had it written into his contract at WNEW that he was the only one who could use a TelePrompTer, and this meant that when he was debriefing a reporter on set, the reporter would have to constantly look at his notes. By contract, Jorgensen would always look steadily into the camera, projecting an air of power and confidence. He warred bitterly with station management, including Ted Kavanau, then news director, who says Jorgensen "was a difficult guy, very moody, hardly talked to anybody, but when you turned on that camera, he performed brilliantly. He had a voice that was like fate reaching out to you." [cite news|last=Gay|first=Verne|title=Dropping Anchor|publisher=Newsday (Melville, NY)|date=2004-07-11|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ]

WPIX / Independent Network News

Upon leaving WNEW, Jorgensen initially co-anchored "Action News" with Pat Harper on WPIX. In June, 1980, days after after Ted Turner began the Cable News Network, WPIX began producing "Independent Network News", a prime time national newscast that ran throughout the United States on small independent television stations. The Miami Herald described "Independent Network News" as a half-hour program of national and international news as well as brief sports and weather segments, is offered to participating stations during prime time, and therefore is not in direct competition with the networks' evening newscasts. [cite news|last=Jory|first=Tom|title='Independent News' Gets A Good Reception|publisher=Miami Herald|date= 1982-12-21|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ] Jorgensen anchored both a 10:00 national newscast and a 10:30 local newscast on WPIX with Steve Bosh and Pat Harper. Tribune Broadcasting hired Morton Dean to replace the three anchors in 1985 and rebranded the program as "USA Tonight" [cite news|last=Hill|first=Michael E.|title=Morton Dean, Anchorman|publisher=The Record (New Jersey)|date= 1987-08-12|accessdate = 2006-12-16 ]

Retirement

According to a 2004 "Newsday" article by Verne Gay, Jorgensen is currently living in Florida.

References