Signing Off: Ron Magers Will Retire in May

Ron Magers, a Chicago TV institution since the 1980s, officially announced Thursday that he will be retiring when he steps down as the co-anchor for the top-rated ABC 7 (WLS-TV) newscasts at 5 and 10 p.m.

His final broadcast will be May 25. Alan Krashesky will take over co-anchor duties for the 10 p.m. broadcast, PM newscast, sharing the desk with Kathy Brock. Krashesky also wil anchor the 5 p.m. newscast with Cheryl Burton and continue anchoring the 6 p.m. news with Brock.

The station and Magers—who began his Chicago career at NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) in 1981 and stayed there until joining ABC 7 in 1998—made the announcement in a statement, as well as a three-minute video posted to ABC 7's Facebook page that featured the anchor reminiscing about his time as a TV journalist.

"I tell friends of mine around the country who are in the news business, 'If you want to be in the TV news business, why would you want to work anywhere other than Chicago?' Magers, 71, said in the video. "What we say about it is, you take a camera outside of Chicago, somebody will commit news for you."

Magers also expressed the sincere appreciation he had for the Chicago viewers who have watched him deliver the news—good and bad—over the decades.

"I really do have a deep gratitude for the fact that you've allowed me to come in to your home and, in many cases, be part of your family," he said. "I'm very touched by that. I appreciate it, and I thank you."

Magers started in TV in 1965 at KEZI-TV in Eugene, Ore. He worked at stations in San Francisco and Minneapolis before finally landing in Chicago. During his time here, Magers work has garnered him praise among his colleagues, as well as numerous awards, including seven Chicago Emmy Awards, a Peter Lisagor Award and a National Press Club citation.

Jennifer Graves, ABC 7 news director and vice president of news, had this to say about Magers in the station's press release:

"No hyperbole is necessary to describe Ron Magers. He is simply the best. We thank Ron for his unrelenting pursuit of excellence and for all he has meant to ABC 7 and our Chicago viewers. We will miss him.

"For decades Ron Magers has been the trusted voice of authority for Chicago news viewers. His intellect, ability to put complicated stories into context and effortless broadcast style have put him in a league of his own. We thank him for always trying to make us better and wish him nothing but the best."