Royal Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Royal Parker
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Royal Parker in the 1980s
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Royal Pollokoff
April 8, 1929 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Died | January 8, 2016 (aged 86) Pikesville, Maryland, U.S.
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| Years active | 1940a–1994 |
| Spouse(s) | Phyllis |
| Children | 3 |
Royal Pollokoff (born April 8, 1929 – died January 8, 2016) was a well-known American television personality. He was better known by his stage name, Royal Parker. For over 50 years, from the 1940s to the 1990s, he was a familiar face on TV screens in the Baltimore, Maryland area. He worked in many different roles in broadcasting.
Royal Parker's Early Life
Royal Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 8, 1929. He finished high school at Baltimore City College in 1946. He started his career in the late 1940s at a radio station called WASA (now WHGM). This was an AM radio station in Havre de Grace, Maryland. He hosted a music show there called Royal Record Review. In 1951, he moved to television, which was a very new thing back then. He joined WAAM-TV (now WJZ-TV) in Baltimore.
A Long Career in Television
Royal Parker worked in television for more than 40 years, from 1951 to 1994. He did many different jobs, including reading the news, covering sports, hosting kids' shows, and even appearing in commercials.
When he worked at WAAM-TV in Baltimore, Parker was a television newscaster. He reported on important events like the 1952 elections. In these elections, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the U.S. President.
Royal Parker was very creative, especially for children's television. He created a character called Mister Poplolly. For this daily show, he would wear a big hat, glasses, and a clown's nose. Later, he played a sailor character, similar to Popeye, who hosted a daily cartoon show. He also appeared in commercials, including those for The Buddy Deane Show between 1957 and 1962. By this time, WAAM had become WJZ-TV.
In 1962, Parker moved to WBAL-TV. There, he hosted popular televised bowling shows like Pinbusters and Bowling for Dollars in the 1970s. While at WBAL, he also played P. W. Doodle. This was a newsboy character he made up, based on his own experience selling newspapers when he was young in Baltimore. On November 22, 1963, he had the important job of broadcasting the news flash about the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Later in his career, Parker reported on other major news events. These included the resignation of President Richard Nixon, economic problems in the United States, and the Iran hostage crisis. He also broadcast the news of the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.
Parker stayed at WBAL-TV until he retired in 1994. He remembered how different things were when he started in 1951. He said, "We just figured things out as we went along." He learned to do many jobs, from running equipment to hosting cooking shows.
Later Years and Family
Royal Parker and his wife, Phyllis, had three sons.
After leaving broadcasting, he tried to become a politician in 1994. He ran for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates, but he did not win. Later, he worked as an inspector for the Baltimore City Liquor License Board. He retired from that job in 2006.
Even in retirement, Parker stayed active in helping his community. He often appeared at events to raise money for the Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital.
Royal Parker passed away on January 8, 2016, in Pikesville, Maryland. This is a suburb of Baltimore. He was 86 years old and died from congestive heart failure.
