ORLANDO -- Mike DeForest was introduced to broadcasting by his grandfather when he was just 5-years-old, as the two read Christmas stories into a microphone.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Mike would run around the neighborhood with the family's video camera, shooting movies with his friends.

Mike studied broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California. While in Los Angeles, he was mentored by some of the biggest names in television news. Mike's first big assignment was helping CBS cover the OJ Simpson case.

Mike began his career at KAAL-TV in Austin, Minnesota, better known at the birthplace of Spam. The highlight of the year was covering the annual Spam Jam festival. He then reported for WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Mike fell in love with the mountains, the barbecue, and the woman he'd later marry!

Mike joined Local 6 in 2000, just in time for the Presidential Election recount. Since then, Mike has helped cover the biggest stories in Central Florida, from hurricanes, to shuttle launches, to the memorable characters who make Orlando one of the most interesting news towns in the country.

Mike lives in West Orange County with his wife April and their two little boys.

Click to e-mail Mike.