Clarke has come a long way from his starting days in radio, when he earned just over $1.50 per hour as a country music DJ in Wisconsin. Now the KQED President and CEO says “I've been in the broadcasting business 44 years, and the time has come for me to go and do some other things I enjoy in life.” Clarke led the expansion of the Northern California public broadcasting network, which includes San Francisco’s KQED-FM (88.5). Under Clarke’s leadership, the most recent KQED radio pledge drive reached 112% of its goal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.