Career
Jorgenson was recruited to WNEW-television from Cleveland, Ohio, where he had been principal anchor for National Broadcasting Company affiliate KYW-television (which later became National Broadcasting Company-owned WKYC-television), and later American Broadcasting Company affiliate WEWS. When WNEW-television began producing the Ten O"Clock News with Jorgenson at the helm, no other commercial television stations had a prime time newscast, though. New York Times television critic Jack Gould described the newscast as "a thoroughly professional news summary" due in part to "Mr. Jorgensen"s durably pleasing style and demeanor. on WNEW followed a talk show hosted by Merv Griffin and was followed by a local talk show hosted by Alan Burke.
Gould described the acerbic Burke as "a piece of sandpaper wired for sound." rapidly built a substantial audience.
Jorgensen was succeeded at WNEW by John Roland, who had previously been a featured reporter and co-anchor. His signature signoff was "I"m Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time "till next time."
Jorgensen had it written into his contract at WNEW that he was the only one who could use a TelePrompTer, and this meant that when he was debriefing a reporter on set, the reporter would have to constantly look at his notes.
By contract, Jorgensen would always look steadily into the camera, projecting an air of power and confidence. He warred bitterly with station management, including Ted Kavanau, then news director, who says Jorgensen "was a difficult guy, very moody, hardly talked to anybody, but when you turned on that camera, he performed brilliantly.
He had a voice that was like fate reaching out to you."
Upon leaving WNEW, Jorgensen initially co-anchored Action News with Pat Harper on WPIX. In June 1980, days after Ted Turner began the Cable News Network, WPIX began producing Independent Network News, a prime time national newscast that ran throughout the United States on small independent television stations.
The Miami Herald described Independent Network News as a half-hour program of national and international news as well as brief sports and weather segments, offered to participating stations during prime time, and therefore not in direct competition with the networks" evening newscasts. Jorgensen anchored both a 10:00 national newscast and a 10:30 local newscast on WPIX with Steve Bosh and Pat Harper. Tribune Broadcasting hired Morton Dean to replace the three anchors in 1985 and rebranded the program as United States of America Tonight.
According to a 2004 Newsday article by Verne Gay, Jorgensen is currently living in Florida.
