She worked at the local public television station and began her career in earnest as an announcer at Wisconsin Public Radio. The native New Yorker moved on to stations in Cincinnati and Philadelphia before joining Minnesota Public Radio in 1983. April 1998 marked the beginning of a great life adventure, as Ratner began work as a music host and producer on the English Service of China Radio International in Beijing before a return to MPR. Her extracurricular interests include international travel; folk, ballroom and contra-dancing; choral singing; hanging out with her amazing Chinese cat; and trying to stay ahead of the weeds in her garden…with varying degrees of success!