KPBS staff are mourning the death of California public television icon Huell Howser. The sad news comes less than two months after learning of his retirement.
“For more than 20 years KPBS viewers and audiences all over California were treated to Huell's adventures and explorations of California's history and places we never would have known nor visited,” said KPBS General Manager Tom Karlo. “With all the richness of our state, in the end Huell was truly California's Gold.”
Huell and his programs were a regular part of KPBS for nearly 30 years, attracting a loyal and dedicated fan base in San Diego. Whether exploring the San Diego beaches or the railways in Sacramento, Huell delighted viewers with his simple approach to storytelling.
In addition to California’s Gold, Huell also created Road Trip with Huell Howser, California’s Golden Parks, California’s Green and California Missions – a ten part miniseries which was often used to complement classroom lessons on the Missions.
While Huell’s programs no longer air on KPBS, fans can continue to access select programs on the Cal Gold website at www.calgold.com. An official Huell Howser Archive will be established this year through Chapman University in Orange County. The archive will be a free online collection of all of Huell's programs -- more than 2,000 titles.
KPBS is a public service of San Diego State University, serving the region with TV, Radio, and Internet content that educates, inspires, entertains, and advances civic involvement.
