Jeffrey Parke Announces Retirement
• After nearly 40 years of service to Inland Empire broadcasting, Jeffrey Parke announced his impending retirement as General Manager of Anaheim Broadcasting Active Rock 96.7 KCAL-FM and Classic Hits KOLA 99.9/Riverside-San Bernardino, effective July 24. Parke joined KCAL as Sales Manager on Jan. 1, 1987, and was elevated to GM in 1989.
Parke’s broadcasting career began in 1979 as an on-air personality at KLOM/Santa Maria, CA. He later moved to afternoon drive at KTMS-FM/Santa Barbara before transitioning into radio sales in 1982 at KARA-FM/San Jose.
His big break came in 1984 when he joined KMGG-turned-KPWR (Power 106)/Los Angeles as a Sr. Sales Rep, working for General Manager Tim Sullivan, who later purchased KCAL-FM and recruited Parke as Sales Manager. The rest, as they say, is radio history.
Parke credits much of his career success to Sullivan, who passed away in December 2024. “I will forever be indebted to Tim Sullivan, who gave me my chance and trusted me to run the stations and make them the powerhouses they are today,” Parke said. “Tim and I worked together for nearly four decades. He was my mentor and taught me all about leadership. But most of all, he was a dear friend. I had some of the best times of my life at and away from work with Tim.”
Parke continued, “My career has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and extraordinary people. I consider myself incredibly lucky for the 40 years I have had here. I’ll miss the business, but most of all, I will miss each and every person I worked with and still work with today. I created lifelong friendships with everyone who was a part of our unique radio family. I plan to stay connected to all of them even after I am gone.”
In closing, Parke added, “Very few people get the opportunity to spend four decades doing work they genuinely love. I was fortunate to work alongside talented broadcasters, dedicated employees, loyal advertisers, and wonderful friends. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Parke now plans to spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, continue his involvement in real estate, travel extensively, and enjoy the next chapter of a career that has left a lasting impact on Southern California broadcasting.
