46 YEARS TOTAL IN PITTSBURGH MEDIA
Chris Moore, the iconic Pittsburgh broadcaster of TV and radio lore since 1980, called it a career on terrestrial radio on Sunday evening, Feb. 15, 2026. On the KDKA Radio (1020 AM, 100.1 FM) airwaves, he told his faithful listeners that he won’t be pulling a Michael Jordan—retiring and then returning a few years later. There’s no regrets. Thirty-two years on KDKA Radio; and Moore hosted television shows concurrently for most of those years, whether it was on PCNC, WPXI, or WQED.
“As I go off into retirement, I’m not going to be thinking about coming back,” Moore said around 8:55 p.m., just a few moments before he signed off. “My wife says I’m wrong on that, but I’m not really going to be thinking about coming back because I’ve done enough of it, and I feel like I’m going out on top now, and this is the way it should be. Nobody’s firing me, KDKA has given me a big sendoff with a surprise party just before the show, and I’ve had a much larger time than even deserves to be thought of.”
Moore’s surprise party prior to his 5 p.m. show on Feb. 15 featured the likes of KDKA Radio reporter Timira Rush, former Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, former KDKA-TV producer (and former Mayor Gainey spokesperson) Olga George, photographer Richena Brockinson, public relations specialist Russell Bynum, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva, Pittsburgh Black Media Federation President Deborah Todd, Courier freelance photographer and WAMO Radio (107.3 FM) Sunday morning “I Praise” host Brother Marlon Martin, and others. More than 50 people made their way to the KDKA Radio studios in Green Tree for the party for Moore.
CHRIS MOORE SPENT 32 YEARS AT KDKA RADIO.
“This is your day, Chris,” former Mayor Gainey said to Moore on-air. “When you can reproduce leaders in the field that you’ve come from, it speaks volumes of leadership. When you can talk about issues that are difficult for others to talk about because you understand both sides of the table, we’re going to miss that. When you talk about the people that know the doors that you’ve opened for many, we’re just going to hope that somehow they can get someone that can fulfill that; they won’t be able to replace it, but hopefully they can get someone to fill that, because without that, this city and this region loses a voice of truth.”
It was Moore who co-founded the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation’s Urban Journalism Workshop, which gives high school students a chance to learn some of the fundamentals of the media industry. Hundreds of Pittsburgh African American students have completed the workshop over the decades, many of whom are working in professional media careers today.
“You are ‘The Moore of Pittsburgh’ and there’s so many people that will do anything for you because you and Dr. Joyce (Meggerson-Moore) just open your heart to strangers, to people who don’t have any family here and you make them family,” George said to Moore on-air. “You took in an island girl with a fiery temper…and you made her feel wanted and loved,” George, a Virgin Islands native, added.
Just before Moore signed off, he played an audio clip of a conversation Moore had years ago with Donald Trump, before there was any notion that he would run for U.S. President. In the clip, Trump said: “Chris, it’s hard to fire somebody that has such high ratings. But I don’t like you, I never have liked you, I think you’re terrible at what you do…Chris, you’re fired!”
To that clip, Moore said live on-air: “I’m the last ___ that you gon’ fire, you rascal you…and even though I wish you well, I won’t be here to comment on some of the dumb stuff that you do, and I guess that will be one of the good things about retirement.”
Moore added: “Thank you all, it’s time for me to get my hat. Goodnight.”
