Jonathan Arking

Jonathan Jacob Arking (born 1966) is a Michigan broadcast journalist who currently serves as News Director for radio station WHMI in Howell. He is also co-host of that station's morning show, "Marino & The Morning Crew". He uses the air-name of Jon King on the radio.

Biography

Arking was born August 2, 1966 at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father is Robert Arking (d.o.b. 7/1/36), a Professor of Genetics at Wayne State University in Detroit. His mother is Lucille Musser Arking (d.o.b. 1/26/36), who retired as epidemiologist from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and now has a consulting company in Michigan. Arking graduated from The Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan in 1984. He entered Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, Michigan in late 1985 and graduated in August of 1986.

Career

His first job in radio began in September 1986 at WCLX in Boyne City, Michigan where he worked as the morning drive host. After leaving the station in October of 1987, Arking enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit. However, a chance encounter with Dick Kernan from the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts led him to take the News Director position at WTWR in Monroe, Michigan. He would end up working at WTWR for the next six years. In that time, Arking also began co-hosting the station's morning show as well as working some weekend air shifts as a disc jockey. Using the name Jon King for his news duties, Arking worked as J.J. Quinn when hosting an alternative music show on Saturday night's called "The Fringe". In 1996, he was hired to serve as news anchor and local producer for Imus In The Morning at WSTR, 97.1FM in the Detroit market. When that station switched its format and became WKRK, he stayed to do the same duties for the local broadcast of The Howard Stern Show. At this same time, Arking also began working part-time as a news anchor at WWJ, an all-news station in the Detroit. In late 1997, he ended employment at WKRK and began working full-time at WWJ, where he stayed until landing the job of News Director at WSJM in St. Joseph, Michigan. After only 11 months in that position, however, he was hired back in early 2000 at WWJ in Detroit. After being switched to anchoring sports, Arking accepted the News Director position at WHMI in Howell, Michigan in May of 2002. He also co-hosts that station's morning show, "Marino & The Morning Crew". In his time at WHMI, Arking has earned numerous awards from the Associated Press and Michigan Association of Broadcasters. He also serves as a President for the Associated Press Association of Michigan.

Personal

Arking married the former Carolyn Rene Szczembara on August 31st, 1997 in a ceremony held at Temple Shir Tikvah in Troy, Michigan. His son Joshua was born on August 13th, 1998. His first daughter Emily on August 1st, 2001 and his second daughter Claire on August 27th, 2008.

References

* [http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=-185509]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHMI]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTWR]
* [http://www.michmab.com/awards/index_awards.html]