Up Close with Bill Ritter

About Up Close with Bill Ritter

“Up Close” is a politics podcast from the No. 1 TV station in the United States, WABC-TV. Hosted by Eyewitness News anchor Liz Cho, Up Close gets to the heart of the matter, whether it’s about how things are working in government - or how they’re not working. It shows you how public-policy decisions are made. This Eyewitness News podcast goes beyond the headlines and underneath the surface of politics. Sound bites don’t do that – conversation does. Our guests – varied and diverse - are from both sides of the aisle. In addition to full episodes of Up Close, I'm going to be sharing extra content -- interviews, perspective, news digests and more.

Publisher

WABC-TV, Bill Ritter

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Dec 2023

Latest episode

7 May 2026

Latest episodes

144 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 May 2026

   Eyewitness News Town Hall: Measles

   With measles cases on the rise - and new infections reported in New York City and on Long Island - our communities are once again confronting a preventable public health risk. ABC 7 New York brought trusted medical experts together for an Eyewitness News Town Hall to answer your questions about measles: how it spreads, who's at risk, and how to stay protected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2. 

   20 Apr 2026

   Ray Tierney reflects on the Gilgo Beach murder case

   Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney joins us on Up Close this week following the guilty plea of Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, who admitted to murdering eight women. The case, which haunted Long Island and captured national attention, took years to solve despite spanning nearly two decades. The killing spree stretched over 17 years, with investigators and families alike left searching for answers as the case went cold. For decades, the question lingered: why did it take so long to identify and arrest the killer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3. 

   5 Apr 2026

   Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman on New York gubernatorial race

   On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the latest on the race for New York governor. New polls show the race for governor of New York narrowing a bit. Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul still has a big lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman is the current Nassau County Executive and a staunch backer of President Donald Trump. We speak with him about the race and what he would do as governor. Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in a big push for taxes on big corporations in New York City. The push is to help pay for his proposed programs and to make up for the over $5 billion deficit. So, how is the critically important business community reacting to all this? And will some of them decide to move a portion or all of their business to low-tax states? This morning, we talk to Steve Fulop, the former mayor of Jersey City, who is now the president of Partnership for New York City. The group represents businesses in the country's biggest city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who has been a guest on Up Close with Bill Ritter

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Curtis Sliwa
• Brad Lander
• Zohran Mamdani
• Alexa Aviles
• Kirsten Gillibrand

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

78

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

Contact Up Close with Bill Ritter

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.