Cluff began his career at CBC in 1976 as a radio journalist focusing on sports. As a sports journalist, he covered eight Olympic games and five Commonwealth games. Cluff was one of the few journalists allowed to enter Moscow and Prague during the World Hockey Championships at the time of the
Cold War. Cluff was sent as a reporter to the
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he reported for two hours on the
Centennial Olympic Park bombing with limited preparation. Upon his return, the vice presidents of CBC asked him if he would host his own show. He was later asked by Susan Englebert to take up a three-year position in Vancouver as host of
The Early Edition, which was later extended. In June 2017, before announcing his retirement, Cluff underwent open-heart surgery after living with hereditary heart disease. In December 2017, it was announced that Stephen Quinn would replace Cluff. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Radio Television Digital News Association. ==Personal life==