On the final Friday morning of 2023, December 29, Tom Parkinson signed off as host of NPR's Morning Edition on Kansas Pubic Radio for the last time. After more than 30 years on the air, and the last decade spent at KPR, he's hanging up his headphones and retiring from daily radio.
KPR has been extremely fortunate to have Tom as a member of our news team, as he boasts a very impressive career in radio that spans several decades and stations across the United States. He began that career in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, at station WMNF, hosting an afternoon jazz and blues music show. Along with journalism, Tom notes music as being one of his many passions and feels very fortunate that his time in radio allowed him to delve into both of those interests.
Over the years, Tom worked as an all-night jazz host, talk-show producer, general assignment reporter and news director, but he says hosting the local broadcast of Morning Edition is what he loved the most. He helped listeners greet the day in Florida, Ohio and California, before finding his final radio destination and forever hometown at Kansas Public Radio in beautiful Lawrence, Kansas.
Tom says he will continue to produce feature stories about music, performances, local events and other fun stuff that he thinks listeners will really enjoy, so stay tuned!
Tom also had a parting message to his colleagues at KPR, as well as the listeners who have accompanied him throughout the years: "It's been such an honor to spend this last decade with the amazing team of professionals at KPR. Thank you all very much. And, as always, sincerest gratitude to the wonderful public radio listeners in Northeast Kansas. You really do make it all possible."
We congratulate Tom on this next exciting step and wish him well in his future endeavors, both here at KPR and beyond.