NCPB President and CEO Jeff Clarke Retires
Led the digital conversion and merger of KQED and KTEH;
Eight-year tenure leaves NCPB reaching more people with more services than ever
before
Jeff Clarke retires today, March 19, 2010, after a nearly 45-year career in broadcast media. During Jeff's tenure at KQED/NCPB the station continued to set ratings records in radio and television. KQED was the first public broadcaster to begin broadcasting its signal in a digital format and was one of the first to take advantage of the digital revolution by offering additional digital channels, including KQED HD, Life, World, and others. In 2006, Jeff led the effort to merge the KTEH Foundation with KQED, increasing the geographic reach for each station, while decreasing overall administrative costs. Jeff also oversaw an expansion in local TV and radio production and shows as diverse as QUEST, Check, Please Bay Area!, California Money, The Do List, and Climate Watch all began production under Jeff's watch. In 2010, Jeff Clarke was informed that he would be the recipient of the Governor's Citation from the Emmy Awards/National Television Academy of Northern California.
"I have witnessed incredible changes in the broadcast industry since I began my career in 1965, and each change has brought with it exciting possibilities," said Clarke. "I leave NCPB knowing that even in this rapidly changing media landscape, we are well-prepared to continue to serve our audiences who have come to depend on us for entertaining, educational, and enlightening programming. I am most appreciative of the Board, staff, and management team at NCPB, whose efforts during my tenure helped us create the most successful, innovative organization in public media."
Clarke was appointed president and CEO of KQED Public Broadcasting in June 2002. During his tenure, KQED has grown from broadcasting one television and one radio station into one of the nation's leading public media enterprises, serving more viewers, listeners, Web users, educators, parents, and students than at any other time in the organization's history. Clarke oversaw the formation of NCPB in 2006 when KQED, Inc. merged with the South Bay-based KTEH Foundation. Clarke also helped prepare NCPB stations for the new media world by overseeing the successful transition to digital broadcasting; and through pioneering initiatives with Apple iTunes, Adobe, YouTube, and Google, enabled NCPB's programs to expand their reach beyond the traditional airwaves. NCPB now boasts one of the largest listenerships for any NPR station in the country and one of the highest viewerships of any PBS station nationwide.
Clarke's service to public media over the past four decades includes his role on a number of boards, including the PBS board of directors, the National DataCast Incorporated (NDI) board, and the Boston-based programming distribution service, American Public Television (APT.) Locally, Clarke has served as a governor of the Commonwealth Club of California, as a trustee of the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and as a member of the Asia Society Advisory Board.
Clarke has been an aviator for 39 years and serves as a Command and Mission Orientation Pilot for Angel Flight West's Northern California Wing, providing free transportation for patients to and from medical procedures and appointments. He also gives young people ages 8 to 18 "Young Eagle" flights under the auspices of the E.A.A. (Experimental Aircraft Association.) Clarke is a "Founding Father" in the Family Violence Prevention Fund's quest to coach boys into men and eliminate violence against women in our society. He and his wife Gail have been longtime Habitat for Humanity volunteers and were a "wish team" for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast.
Northern California Public Broadcasting, Inc. (NCPB) (www.ncpb.com) is one of the most-watched-and-listened-to public broadcasters in the country. NCPB owns and operates public television stations KQED 9HD (San Francisco), KTEH 54 (San Jose), and KQET 25 (Watsonville/Monterey); KQED Public Radio (88.5FM San Francisco and 89.3FM Sacramento); KQED and KTEH Education Network; and the Interactive platforms KQED.org and KTEH.org. Audiences and users can also access NCPB content through digital television channels 9HD, Life, World, Kids, V-me, and KQED PBS Kids Sprout, and by streaming or downloading available content on www.kqed.org and www.kteh.org.
