Dave Moore

For five decades at WCCO prior to his death, Dave Moore defined the role of a news anchor. Viewers trusted him to tell them what was happening in the Twin Cities, the state, the nation, and the world. He earned that trust with a combination of intelligence, insight, integrity, wit, and grace.

Dave Moore delivered the news for thinking people who knew and appreciated the difference between substance and silliness. On the air, Moore was effortless and charming. Off the air, he was gracious and generous. He helped newsroom rookies feel comfortable on the air.

He could write his own scripts when the occasion demanded. His prose was crisp, clean, and colorful. But it was his sense of humor that was his trademark. He could say volumes with a slight smile or the arch of an eyebrow.

He could also play the role of curmudgeon, letting a young producer or nervous assignment editor know that they were in the business of informing viewers, not entertaining them. But he understood the value of a gracefully written feature and no one could introduce a reporter's video track with greater sensitivity.

Dave Moore was the quintessential storyteller. It was his art and craft. Few came close. None was better.

The irony is Dave Moore never thought of himself as a newsman. If someone offered him a compliment, Dave would shuffle from one foot to the other in his "aw-shucks" manner and say that he was just a news reader. His secret was he knew more that the writers and he made their words into true short stories.