Highly Praised “Backroads of Montana” Gets New Host

Since 1991, William Marcus has traveled the state, from dinosaur digs in eastern Montana to jazz musicians in western Montana, hosting the Montana PBS series "Backroads of Montana." For 30 years, the series has completed 50 episodes, winning a number of awards, including a huge stack of Montana Broadcasters Association "Non-commercial Television Program of the Year" honors.

William Marcus' quiet, unassuming style introduced Montanans to people and places that residents may not have known about. And, he is looking at retiring from the position. His replacement is Backroads producer John Twiggs (photo above), who will take over in 2022 with more interviews planned.

In a news release, Marcus said, "The 50th program after 30 years seems like a good point to pause and reflect on what's next. And for me to step aside. I am immensely proud of the programs we've produced and grateful to the talented 'Backroads' producers who have made it such a pleasure to be the 'face' of the program."

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The production team is based at the University of Montana Broadcast Media Center in Missoula, where Williams was a former director. The traveling team has included Gus Chambers, Anna Rau, Breanna McCabe and others. A special Montana PBS Pledge event will celebrate the Williams' 30-year legacy on December 1st at 8 p.m. on the local PBS stations, including KUFM in Missoula. The show has been supported by the Greater Montana Foundations, a Big Sky Film grant and the University of Montana. You can check out some of the episodes at their website.