NYC anchor who helped popularize ‘Do you know where your children are?’ line dies

Former New York City anchor Bill Jorgensen has died at 96.

Jorgensen, who joined Fox affiliate WNEW (now WNYW) in 1967 and anchored “The 1o O’Clock News” for 12 years, died March 13, 2024.

Jorgensen was brought to NYC after anchoring at what was then KYW in Cleveland, Ohio (that station is now WKYC). 

Some credit Jorgensen for coining the idea of having an announcer say the line “it’s 10 p.m. — do you know where your children are?” during the show’s open. The line was meant as a public service effort designed to coordinate with youth curfews in major cities and reduce crime.

The phrase, however, was not created by Jorgensen. It had appeared in newspapers in the 1800s and other stations are known to having used it prior to Jorgensen, though his station’s use of the phrase arguably helped make it famous. It’s sometimes modified to use the time 11 p.m. or no time at all.

WNEW has used the phrase in its open since Jorgensen’s time, modifying it during the COVID-19 pandemic as “Stay home. Stay safe. Stay strong. We’re all in this together.”

After leaving WNEW, Jorgensen anchored “Action News” on WPIX. 

Just days after CNN was launched in 1980, he began anchoring “Independent Network News,” a show produced by WPIX for small and independent stations across the country at 10 p.m. He continued to appear on the station’s local news at 10:30 p.m. 

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As an anchor, he became known for his signature signoff: “I’m Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time ’till next time.”

Some local TV management who worked with Jorgensen remember him as sometimes difficult to work with, but that he had a way of connecting with viewers via the camera. He reportedly had a clause in his contract that meant he was the only person allowed to use a teleprompter, meaning he could maintain steady eye contact with viewers while others had to refer more to their notes.