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WEBVTT DURIAN PASSED AWAY. AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS. >> THANKS FOR JOINING US. >> GOOD MORNING, IT IS THE TV 11 SATURDAY MORNING NEW -- NEWS. DAVID: HE BECAME MORE THAN A FAMILIAR FACE AND VOICE. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT HE WAS A FAMILY MEMBER, HE BECAME SOMEONE YOU COULD TRUST AND LISTEN TO. >> IF YOU HEARD THAT VOICE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY, HE WOULD SAY SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE THE MATTER WHAT WAS GOING ON. >> YOU ALWAYS KNEW THINGS WOULD BE OK. DAVE GAVE A SENSE THAT WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOMORROW AND WE WILL BE OK. DAVID: HE CAME TO BALTIMORE FROM PITTSBURGH. HE LEFT WBAL TO WORK FOR MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION IN 19 SAID -- 1986 BUT CAME BACK HOME THE FOLLOWING YEAR. HE RETIRED IN 2012. HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, HE CHERISHED MEETING LISTENERS AND HIS AUDIENCE CONSIDERED HIM A FRIEND. >> WE WENT OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND BUILT A POTATO CANNON AND SHOT AT TARGETS ON THE SIDE OF PARKING LOT. >> WHATEVER YOU HEARD IN TERMS OF THE EASE, COMFORT, ABILITY TO CAN INDICATE. >> HE SPECIALIZED IN THE KIND OF BROADCASTING THAT WAS PERSONAL, VERY INTIMATE IN SOME WAYS WHERE HE WAS TALKING TO ONE PERSON. A FRIEND, NEIGHBOR OVER THE BACK FENCE. >> YOU EITHER KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT OR YOU DO NOT, EITHER YOU ENJOYED YOUR DOING OR YOU DO NOT AND EITHER YOU REALLY LIKE THIS BUSINESS OR YOU COAST AND IF YOU COAST PEOPLE CAN TELL IMMEDIATELY. I REALLY LIKE WHAT I AM DOING. DAVID: HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, GRANDDAUGHTER, AND FIVE GRANDCHILDREN. HE WAS 72. STAN DAVE WAS MY CO-ANCHOR HERE : FROM 1982 THROUGH 1983 AND WAS IT GOOD FRIEND AND GREAT PARTNER. HE’LL BE MISSED BY ALL WHO

Advertisement Dave Durian, former WBAL-TV 11, WBAL Radio anchor, dies at 72 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Former WBAL Radio and WBAL-TV 11 News anchor Dave Durian died early Monday morning after a short illness.He was 72 years old.During his three decades behind a microphone in Baltimore, Durian became more than a familiar face and voice."When Dave left the anchor desk with Rod Daniels to go into radio, a lot of people are talking about how he became a family member. He became somebody you could trust and listen to," said Clarence Mitchell IV, host of "The C4 Show" on WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and 101.5 FM."You knew when you woke up in the morning and heard that voice, you knew you were going to have a good day. He was going to say something that was going to make you smile no matter what was going on," said Bill Vanko, a reporter for WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and 101.5 FM."You always knew things were going to be OK, no matter how bad the news was. Dave just gave us a sense that we are all in this together and it's going to be OK," said Rob Lang, a reporter for WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and 101.5 FM.The Iowa native came to Baltimore in 1982 from KDKA in Pittsburgh. He left WBAL in 1986 to work for Maryland Public Television but returned home to WBAL the following year. He retired in 2012.Durian spent a lot of time at community events. He cherished meeting listeners, and his listeners considered him a friend."We could be silly. We went out in the parking lot once and built a potato cannon and shot at targets on the side of the parking lot," Vanko said."Whatever you heard on the radio -- the ease, the comfort, the ability to communicate -- he was twice that off the air," Mitchell said."Dave also specialized in the kind of broadcasting that was very personal, very intimate in some ways, where he was just talking to one person, a friend, a neighbor over the back fence," Lang said."Either you know what you are talking about or you don't. Either you enjoy what you are doing or you don't. And either you like this business or you coast. If you coast, people can tell immediately. Yeah, I really like what I'm doing," Durian said in an interview in the 1990s.Durian is survived by his wife, a daughter and five grandchildren.A viewing is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Ruck Towson Funeral Home on York Road in Towson.A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, and the interment will be private.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company, 3500 Sweet Air Road, Phoenix, MD 21131, or to WBAL Radio Kids Campaign, 3800 Hooper Ave., Baltimore, MD 21211.Dave Durian's final appearance as full-time host of Maryland's Morning News:​