Inside Frontline - Mike Moore gets the hard questions - By Samantha Trenoweth - (juice #18 08/94)

Juice : If you could interview anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Mike Moore : Someone that Ray Martin hasn’t. Our research team is working on that at the moment.

Juice : What has been your greatest moment in television journalism?
Mike : One night, when I was still at the ABC, I interviewed Carmen Lawrence about WA Inc for the "7.30 Report" and really nailed her. George Negus, who was in Perth at the time, came up to me and said, ‘I used to think you were a complete prat but I got that wrong.’ I’ll never forget that wonderful moment.

Juice : What’s the major advantage of working at the ABC?
Mike : When I was at the ABC in Perth, I used to wonder about that stuff late at night in my one bedroom flat. And now, when I look out from the third floor of my terrace over Sydney Harbour, I still do.

Juice : The ABC has a reputation for high standards in journalism - unbiased coverage, going after the truth without fear or favour. Have you been able to transfer those qualities to work in commercial television?
Mike : Definitely. But, instead of doing it in 45 minutes, we do it in three. It’s a vast improvement, and now I look at those Chris Masters’ exposes and just yawn. Why does he have to go on for so long?

Juice : What do you think is the greatest piece of current affairs reporting the world has ever known?
Mike : Micheal Bourke’s story on the famine in Ethiopia. He not only brought the story to light, he showed everyone who wanted to visit the country a little bit about it. I think that was the failing of Jana Wendt’s interview with Yasser Arafat. We learnt a lot about Yasser but not about Jordan.

Juice : Would you say you’ve become something of a thinking woman’s sex symbol since you’ve moved across the ABC?
Mike : Yes, I’d have to agree with you because someone said that to me at the Logies the other night. It was one of the models from "Man-O-Man".

Juice : Tell us something about your personal life. Have you been married? Are you dating?
Mike : I’m dating. She’s from "Man-O-Man".

Juice : What sort of offer would convince you to make the move to another network?
Mike : While Baby John Burgess has no intention of moving, that option is best not discussed.

Juice : How’s your documentary going along?
Mike : "A Nation of Sand" looks like it’s going to get up.