‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ Exec Art Moore Set to Retire from ABC After More Than 50 Years (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider

Art Moore, the longtime WABC-TV New York vice president of programming who’s been a staple on “Live with Kelly and Mark” (and its predecessor titles) for decades, is retiring.

Moore will officially depart in September. “Live with Kelly and Mark” hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos were set to announce the news this morning on the show during their host chat segment. He’s served as executive-in-charge of production for the nationally syndicated series, which is now in Season 36.

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The exec has been with WABC since 1989, and has additionally served as exec producer on the Academy Awards preview show “Road to Gold,” which was syndicated for more than two decades. Handling all of WABC’s non-news programming, his oversight has included all local specials on the station. He has won two New York Emmy awards in the job.

Moore has actually been with ABC for 53 years, starting with Capital Cities’ WKBW-TV Buffalo and later WPVI-TV Philadelphia, where he was exec producer/director of “AM Philadelphia” and was director of station promotion and advertising.

“Art Moore is simply the best of the best,” said Debra OConnell, president, News Group and Networks, Disney Entertainment. “His creativity, ability to handle any production challenge and keen sense of what the audience wants is unparalleled in daytime television, and can only be rivaled by his huge heart, the guiding hand he lends to any colleague at any time, and the sheer joy he brings to the job. Words don’t adequately express how much he is appreciated and will be missed – not just across the company but with viewers who have come to love him as much as we do.”

Marilu Galvez, president and GM of WABC, also sent a note to staffers announcing Moore’s retirement. Here it is, below:

Team,

I have some bittersweet news to share – our beloved Art Moore is announcing his plans to retire this September.

To say that Art is a much-loved member of the WABC family is just barely scratching the surface of his impact on my leadership team, the station and the industry overall. Art has been part of our ABC family for a remarkable 53 years, beginning at WKBW-TV in Buffalo when ABC was known as Capital Cities/ABC. He then worked as the director of programming at WPVI in Philadelphia for many years before joining WABC in 1989.

As our head of programming, he has had a role in countless series and specials that have helped shape WABC’s identity and our enduring relationship with viewers. He is a multi-Emmy award winner and has been in charge of production for some of the most successful and prolific series in syndication history, including “Road to Gold,” an Academy Award preview show that ran for 20 years, and, of course most notably, the #1 entertainment talk show on television, “Live with Kelly and Mark.” In fact, Art has been with “Live…” almost since its inception 36 years ago, making an indelible mark on not just the show but the daytime television landscape overall and winning the hearts of viewers nationwide along the way. Kelly and Mark are sharing with viewers right now, and I know they’ll have much more to say about Art over the coming months.

On a personal note, Art has been a friend, a mentor, and now, a trusted and much valued colleague whose insights on my leadership team I greatly appreciate. Debra, Chad and I will miss him greatly and very much look forward to giving him the sendoff celebration he deserves. In the meantime, please join me in thanking Art and wishing him the best on a well-earned retirement.

Thanks,

Marilu

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