Mike Parker (reporter)

A native of Rock Island, Illinois, Parker earned a degree from Los Angeles City College.^[2]

Parker worked as the news director and as a reporter for KFI-AM radio in Los Angeles from 1969 until 1972. He also worked as an anchor, investigative reporter and general assignment reporter at KNXT (now KCBS-TV) in Los Angeles, from 1977 until 1980.^[2]

In January 1980, Parker joined WBBM-TV in Chicago as a weekend news anchor and weekday general assignment reporter. He remained at WBBM-TV until 1985, when he chose not to renew his contract in order to join his wife, Mary Nissenson, who was working as a reporter for WABC-TV in New York. Parker then joined WABC himself as a general assignment reporter, remaining in New York until late 1986, when he returned to WBBM-TV as a weekend anchor. In 1987, Nissenson returned to Chicago, taking a reporting and substitute anchor job at WBBM-TV.^{[2][3][better source needed]}

In 1992, Parker was demoted as weekend news anchor and was replaced by Jay Levine, and filled in as a news anchor where needed. However, the bulk of his job involved being one of WBBM's star reporters, including on the ill-fated non-tabloid 10 p.m. newscast anchored by Carol Marin that ran for nine months in 2000.^{[citation needed]}

Parker was at WBBM-TV longer than any other full-time on-air personality. He retired from the station on May 31, 2016.^[4][5]