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.
