Communiqué
Chris Riddle celebrates 25 years on the air at WOUB
< < Back to woubATHENS, OH – Morning Edition Host Chris Riddle is celebrating 25 years on the air at WOUB today (May 12).
“I actually got my start at WOUB as a listener, discovering jazz on 91.3 as a senior at Marietta High School in the mid-’90s,” said Riddle. “Six years later, I was on the air here, and friends what a ride the past 25 years have been.”
Riddle grew up in nearby Vienna, West Virginia and started working at WOUB when he was a student at Hocking College. He took advantage of every opportunity that he was given to learn and grow. Being on the air at WOUB has been a surreal experience for Riddle.
“Together, we’ve weathered some of the most difficult stories, like 9/11, COVID-19, the loss of treasured venues, the Ames fire in Parkersburg, the promise and loss of industries, occasional dysfunctional government at all levels, too many wars, and the seemingly cyclical challenges that come with university life for both employees and the students we serve,” said Riddle. “But on the other hand, we’ve also had so much to celebrate together like neighbors helping neighbors in communities like Glouster and Marietta, along with the rebirth of Stuart’s Opera House and The Union. We also followed Joe Burrow’s rise and celebrated his dedication to lifting up his home community. I’m especially fond of the gradual relief that came with reading fewer and fewer COVID statistics on the air until one day, I didn’t read any at all. And let’s not forget the seemingly cyclical good times that university life brings for employees and the students we serve.”
Riddle thinks it is great that listeners feel like they know him because they listen to him every morning, and he recognizes that a 25-year daily relationship is a strong one.
“Personally, and I think this rings true for several of us at WOUB, since we’re all neighbors here, a real joy comes from hearing voices we know as they tell their own stories, not just on WOUB, but across the nation via NPR. Just recently, I mentioned a longtime friend’s name on the air after a major victory in their life. Those moments can make your heart want to explode,” said Riddle. “There’s a major perk to a job where you tell people the news over so many years. With memory comes knowing that while we’re often presented with tough times, when we tap into the collective grit inherent to our corner of America, we usually get through it. I have the receipts if you want to see them.”
Riddle also wants listeners to know that he doesn’t do this work alone.
“While it’s my voice you hear in the mornings, there’s a whole team at WOUB whose shoulders I ride on. I’m especially grateful for their behind-the-scenes work keeping us on the air, even at the uncivilized hour when I start my day. There’s nothing but static without the team here,” said Riddle. “It has been an absolute pleasure to serve our community on WOUB’s airwaves. I thank our members and listeners across Southeast Ohio, western West Virginia, special shoutout to Vienna, and northeastern Kentucky for trusting me to keep them in the know, and for laughing along when the occasional dumb stuff comes out of my mouth. We are the public in public media.”