In 1945, Clark began his career working in the mailroom at WRUN, an AM radio station in Rome Nw York, that was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. Almost immediately, he was asked to fill in for the vacationing weatherman, and within a few months he was announcing station breaks.

While attending Syracuse, Clark worked at WOLF-AM, then a country music station. After graduation, he returned to WRUN for a short time where he went by the name Dick Clay. After that, Clark got a job at the television station WKTVin Utica New York

His first television-hosting job was on Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders, a country music program. He would later replace Robert Earle (who would later host the GE College Bowl ) as a newscaster.

Clark was principal in pro broadcasters operator of 1440 KPRO in Riverside California, from 1962 to 1982. In the 1960s, he was owner of KGUD AM/FM (later KTYD AM/FM) in Santa Barbara California.

In 1952, Clark moved to Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he took a job as a disc jockey at radio station WFIL, adopting the Dick Clark handle. WFIL had an affiliated television station (now WPVI) with the same call sign which began broadcasting a show called Bob Horn's Bandstand in 1952. Clark was responsible for a similar program on the company's radio station, and served as a regular substitute host when Horn went on vacation. In 1956, Horn was arrested for drunk driving and subsequently dismissed. On July 9, 1956, Clark became the show's permanent host.

Dick Clark would go on to host Bandstand for over 20 years and provided first time national exposure to some of the biggest names in music. He would also branch out into other areas of television and producing. In fact, while not seen as an on screen presence Dick Clarks production company was and still is responsible for many of the big award shows we see broadcast several times a year. In fact, just the other night I saw a Zac Brown Band concert film from Las Vegas on GAC. The production value was very good and when the credits rolled it was confirmed as a Dick Clark production.

Trivia - ( And I will try to keep my 14 year old sense of humor out of it ) Dick Clarks full name was Richard Wagstaff Clark.