Rob Parker now has a new home in WDFN 1130.
The station, once a dominant presence in the local sports market, announced late Sunday night that Rob Parker and Mark Wilson will co-host “Parker and the Man†beginning Monday, March 24. The show can be heard weeknights from 7 to 10. The news was first reported by the Detroit News.
“This just seems so right because it’s the 20th anniversary of WDFN, Detroit’s original all-sports station,†Parker told the News. “And I’m excited to work with Mark again. He’s a pro’s pro, a great broadcaster.”
He added: “Plus, I can’t wait to mix it up with Detroit sports fans again on the radio.â€
From The Detroit News:
Parker, 50, while provocative, has had his share of high-profiled flubs. A former columnist for The Detroit News, he once went on TV and reported then-Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins was present during a fight between the football and hockey teams. That turned out to be false, and Parker publicly apologized. Later that same year, in 2008, at a postgame press conference, Parker’s attempt at humor fell flat when he asked then-Lions coach Rod Marinelli if he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator (Joe Barry was the defensive coordinator, as well as Marinelli’s son-in-law). A few weeks later, Parker left The News. Then in late 2012, Parker, by then a regular contributor on ESPN’s “First Take,†made the “cornball brother†comment about Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. The network afterword decided not to renew Parker’s contract.
Parker since has been writing for the website, theshadowleague.com, and remains a contributor on WDIV Channel 4’s “Sports Final Edition,†on which he made Sunday’s announcement.
Wilson, most recently, was program director and operations manager of NBC Sports Radio Detroit.
“After working some other projects the last few years, it’s exciting to be back with Rob doing what we do best,†Wilson said. “And that’s bring informative and entertaining sports-talk radio on this new multi-level platform to all of Metro Detroit.â€
In recent months, Parker has written a column for Black Enterprise magazine media partner TheShadowLeague.com.