Beloved Bay Area TV Host Dies At 80

BAY AREA, CA — Doug McConnell, a warm and affable television journalist who spent decades leading viewers along Northern California’s back roads and uncovering its hidden natural treasures, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the age of 80.

His death was announced Wednesday on the OpenRoad With Doug McConnell Facebook page, which said he “peacefully passed.”

Colleagues and fans quickly shared memories of his optimism, storytelling charm, and unique ability to connect with people, both on and off the screen.

"Doug dedicated much of his life to telling stories about the world’s beautiful natural places and encouraged everyone to enjoy them and especially to protect them," the colleagues said on the Facebook page.

McConnell was best known as the longtime host of “Bay Area Backroads,” the KRON-TV series that ran for 23 years and became one of the longest-running regional television programs in the country, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Before joining KRON, McConnell spent more than a decade at KPIX-TV, where he became a familiar and respected presence throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He hosted and produced several popular programs, including Pacific Currents, which he took over in 1983, and the adventure series Mac & Mutley, which debuted in 1986 and followed McConnell on outdoor explorations with his dog, Mutley.

After Mac & Mutley ended in 1990, McConnell stayed on at KPIX as an environmental reporter, contributing stories to the station’s newscasts and its long-running Evening Magazine franchise, the Chronicle reported. He also hosted specials such as Wild West, which took viewers to destinations like Death Valley, the Farallon Islands, and Lassen Volcanic National Park, and he even served briefly as the station’s weekend weatherman. In 1989, CBS Morning News tapped him to contribute environmental reporting, highlighting his growing reputation as a trusted voice on nature and conservation, according to the Chronicle.

The 12th season of OpenRoad is scheduled to premiere this weekend, continuing under the guidance of McConnell’s longtime collaborators.

Born April 30, 1945, McConnell earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Pomona College and a master’s degree in political science from Rutgers University. He went on to build a distinguished television career that spanned local stations, PBS, and the Discovery Channel, earning multiple Emmy Awards along the way,the Chronicle reported.

In addition to his on-screen work, McConnell co-founded Convergence Media Productions and was the driving force behind OpenRoad.TV, an online travel and storytelling community that encouraged people to explore and share the world around them.

On the Facebook page, he was remembered as someone who made friends wherever he went. "He was the best road trip companion you could have, the biggest optimist we ever met, a human GPS with a steel trap memory, friendly to a fault, knowledgeable about most any subject, and filled the world with enthusiastic positivity," We affectionately described him as the human golden retriever."