Longtime Bay Area TV personality Jack Hanson dies at 91

Longtime Bay Area television personality Jack Hanson has died following a long illness. He was 91.

Hanson, a San Francisco native, started his broadcast career in the KPIX mailroom after graduating from San Francisco State University and serving in the U.S. Air Force.

Throughout his more than 60-year career, Hanson worked at KRON, KPIX, KTVU, KGO-TV and the Cable Health Network.
He also hosted Comcast Newsmakers, a news interview show on CNN Headline News, according to a statement posted on the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences SF chapter website when Hanson was inducted into the organization's Gold Circle.

"He made everyone he interviewed feel as though they were fascinating to him, because they were. He took joy in learning people's stories," said family friend Maria Goodavage.

"He interviewed untold numbers of major celebs and politicians, but also made the humblest guest feel heard because he truly cared," Goodavage said.

One of Hanson's popular shows was called "Jack's Place," which aired on KPIX in the mid-1960s and featured interviews with local celebrities and Hanson doing drawings.

Hanson appeared in television, movies, commercials, industrial productions and hosted award shows and served as emcee for many charity events, according to the statement on the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences SF chapter website.