Live With Kelly and Mark Vet Announces Retirement From ABC

Art Moore, WABC-TV New York vice president of programming and Live With Kelly and Mark staple, announced his retirement Wednesday after 53 years with the network. He will officially depart in September.

Live hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos welcomed Moore to the program Wednesday to pay tribute to the “special, devoted and loyal” television vet. Ripa called him “the biggest part of the family here at Live and at ABC.” She continued: “Art is the reason that I’m here and [why] I’ve stayed here all these years. You are so, so important to me personally, to our family. You are one in a gazillion.” (Watch the heartfelt segment embedded above.)

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“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,” said president and general manager, WABC-TV, Marilu Galvez in a statement. “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… 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.”

Moore served as executive producer on the Academy Awards preview show Road to Gold, which was syndicated for more than two decades. He also won two New York Emmy Awards for his work handling all of WABC’s non-news programming, plus overseeing local specials on the station.

“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 all of us.”

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