WGRR’s O’Brien & Coyle Announce Retirement
• Cincinnati radio fixtures Chris O’Brien and Janeen Coyle, the longtime hosts of the “Married with Microphones” morning show on Cumulus Classic Hits 103.5 WGRR announced their impending retirement, effective Friday, Dec. 22. The duo, winners of the 2022 NAB Marconi Award for Large Market Personality of the Year broke their big news on-air Monday morning.
Married for 38 years, Chris O’Brien has been with WGRR since 1991 and Janeen Coyle joined him in 1995 to do the morning show. The couple first met in 1979 while both worked at WKRQ. Coyle went on to host the popular Chick Talk show on talk radio, and co-hosted the morning show on WKRC until she joined O’Brien on WGRR in 1995, forming a unique husband/wife on-air team that led to a daily live morning radio segment on WCPO-TV for several years.
Jon Laing, VP/Market Manager, Cumulus Cincinnati, said, “If there were ever a playbook on how to make great radio, Chris and Janeen would have their own chapter. Aside from their obvious chemistry, they are both incredibly talented professionals and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work with them. The ‘Married with Microphones’ morning show is a radio tradition known and loved by many in this town, and it’s one of the unique things that makes Cincinnati the hometown of all hometowns. Congrats to you both on a job well done!”
Keith Mitchell, OM/PD of WGRR, noted, “Chris and Janeen and ‘Married With Microphones’ are part of the fabric of Cincinnati, waking us up with laughter every morning. But their reach goes beyond the radio with their charity efforts and work in the community. SPCA Cincinnati, Disabled American Veterans and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are just three of the numerous charities they have worked with to draw attention and much needed funding. It’s been my privilege to work with them for 17 years. They will always be remembered for their impact on Cincinnati radio.”
O’Brien commented, “2024 will mark 60 years since I first went on the air in my South Carolina hometown. I have had one amazing career, specifically since arriving in Cincinnati in 1974. My nearly 50 years in Cincinnati radio — 32 years at WGRR and the last 28 with Janeen as cohost — have been phenomenal. It’s all due mainly to our loyal listeners. The greatest compliment we have continually received is ‘you sound just like us!’ Thank you for letting us tell our stories and for making us a part of your family.”
Coyle remarked, “For 45 years, I have been fortunate to work right here in my hometown. It has always been about one thing for me: the listener. Whether I’m talking to them on the phone, out in public or in my mind’s eye, I focus on that one person as they drive to work or fix a cup of coffee in their kitchen, to bring a laugh, a smile, or a memory. I thank those people for allowing Chris and me to be their friends for our 28 years together on WGRR. I will miss you.”
