WKTV Anchor Bill Worden Announces Retirement

Bill Worden, longtime anchor at Smith Media’s NBC affiliate WKTV Utica, N.Y. (DMA 172), announced his retirement Thursday. Worden has been in the 6 and 11p.m. anchor chair since 1977.

“I treasure my years with WKTV and the people I’ve been honored to work with, including some of the original members of the station, who were still here when I started,” Worden said. “But, it’s simply time to do this.”

Steve McMurray, WKTV station manager and news director, said:  “For more than three decades, Bill has been a fixture in Central New Yorkers’ homes. Tens of thousands of local residents have grown up watching Bill deliver the biggest stories that helped shape this region.

“He is not just a newscaster, he’s an institution—one that I’ve been fortunate to watch, learn from, and work alongside. I wish Bill many happy years in retirement. We are all better off for his time at NewsChannel 2.”

“Bill Worden is the kind of respected journalist who makes NBC mean something,” said Steve Capus, president of NBC News. “The network, after all is a collection of cities and small towns across this great country, and there is no doubt, in Central New York, Bill has represented NBC with distinction. We wish him the best after 35 remarkable years.”

Worden will continue to anchor NewsChannel 2 at 6 p.m. this month with his final show scheduled for Nov. 29. McMurray said the station will announce new anchor lineups early next week.