See Mark Koebrich Celebrate His 9News Retirement Announcement

9News anchor Mark Koebrich didn't shed any tears when his impending retirement was announced to station personnel.

As can be seen in a video on view below, he raised his arms in triumph — and he deserves to celebrate his accomplishment.

By the time Koebrich steps down in early 2016, Koebrich will have spent nearly forty years at 9News — a rarity in today's belt-tightened TV environment.

Here's what he looked like during the early years; note the Elvis graphic over his shoulder.


For much of his time at the outlet, Koebrich was a secondary anchor and utility man, happy to do whatever was necessary to keep the gig.

Moreover, he seldom made negative headlines, with one significant exception. Back in August 2001, as we reported, Koebrich was cited for disturbing the peace and minor assault for allegedly punching a 9News technical engineer in the face at what was then known as Invesco Field.

As such, he was the logical choice to become a primary anchor alongside mainstay Adele Arakawa in 2008, when 9News decided that then-anchor Bob Kendrick was too expensive. Given revenue slippage caused by changes in the TV-news business, paying big money to the likes of Kendrick no longer made economic sense. Besides, Koebrich's price was right.

This gamble paid off. In the seven years since Koebrich got bumped upstairs, 9News has continued to be a Denver ratings leader, albeit during a period of diminishing returns for local TV. And he's leaving the spotlight before what happened to Kendrick befalls him.

Look below to see two 9News videos — the first showing the retirement announcement, the second showcasing Koebrich's work through the years.