NYC News Anchor Ernie Anastos Died at 82 Years Old After a Battle With Pneumonia

Over the course of more than 40 years, Ernie Anastos brought news to viewers in all five boroughs of New York City. The news anchor was best known for his time at WCBS, but also worked at WABC, Fox 5, and Channel 9 during his legendary career. Following the news that Ernie had died at the age of 82, many who watched him over the years naturally wanted to know what happened.

Although initial reports on Ernie's cause of death were unclear, we now have more information about his cause of death. Here's what we know.

According to CBS News, Ernie died at Northern Westchester Hospital on March 12 after a bout of pneumonia. He was not on the air for the final few years of his life, but had already made an indelible mark on the city, so much so that in 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared March 21 to be Ernie Anastos Day. The news anchor won more than 30 Emmy Awards over the course of his career, and will be remembered for his on-air personality and by the colleagues who learned so much from him.

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for news anchors in New York, Ernie would be one of the four faces," CBS News New York's Tony Aiello said. "He worked at four stations. He paired well with every co-anchor they ever put him with because he was such a pro."

Ernie also apparently had a gift for making his work feel fun, and helped colleagues who were less comfortable on TV learn how to feel less nervous.

"When I made the switch from print to TV, I was terrified, terrified to go on the set," CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer explained. "So he knew this and he would hand me a rose, throw a pencil at me, one time, he threw a paperclip at me. All of it to make me believe that I was not gonna die and fall on the floor."

Ernie Anastos's estimated net worth at the time of his death was $8 million, which stems largely from his long career in broadcasting in New York. In 2005, Ernie signed a $10 million contract with WNYW, which worked out to a salary of $2 million per year.

Perhaps what speaks to his legacy more than any particular story he covered is Ernie's most famous on-air mishap. When taking the baton back from weather in 2009, Ernie intended to say, "It takes a tough man to make a tender forecast; keep plucking that chicken," a riff on a Perdue Farms commercial that was airing at the time. Instead, Ernie said, "It takes a tough man to make a tender forecast; keep f--king that chicken." Ernie issued an apology for the screwup.