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Sacramento Music Spotlight: Caron Vikre - "Sunshine"

Caron Vikre and singing partner Wayne Hueners had a local hit as Crayon in 1980 due to airplay on top 40 station KXOA AM for the single "Carry Me Back." They were produced by Dave Houston, who in 1982 produced "Sunshine," also by Crayon. It's an upbeat song that could've also been a hit, but by then KXOA had changed format. Vikre continued to record original music as a solo artist for the next several decades.

Riverside Chat #41: Remembering the Sac Bee vs Union Rivalry

Newspapers have gone through extreme changes over the past few decades. From the Gold Rush era thru the 1990s Sacramento had two major newspapers: The Bee and The Union. The Union folded in 1994 then the Bee's owners McClatchy filed bankruptcy in 2020. The Bee is now owned by a hedge fund. Alex Cosper reflects on what it was like to deliver both papers as a teen in the late seventies, plus he gives historical info on Eleanor McClatchy's friendship with JFK.

Riverside Chat #40: Left/Right Media Confusion

Mainstream media has helped alter the definitions of "left" and "right" political ideologies, creating confusion among voters who link these terms to political parties. SacTV.com host Alex Cosper explains the origin of the left/right paradigm and how it differs in context from the evolution of the two-party system. He explains how media has created misunderstand about what these terms mean.

Riverside Chat #39: 50th Anniversary of Sacramento Union Headline: Nixon Resigns

SacTV.com Riverside Chat host Alex Cosper celebrates the 50th anniversary of the resignation of President Richard Nixon. He was forced to resign on August 9, 1974 to avoid impeachment and loss of support from both political parties. A week prior to the announcement, Nixon told the press he wasn't going to quit. But a smoking gun tape of a White House conversation revealed Nixon participated in a cover-up criminal activity by trying to block a federal investigation into his campaign re-election committee. Nixon then accepted a pardon from Ford for "crimes he may have committed as president."

Riverside Chat #38: Embracing Nature and Technology

California continues to see wildfires in the summer. Alex Cosper looks at the ten worst wildfires in state history and finds that six of them were created by nature via lightning. The other four were created by humans. He discusses how society needs to embrace certain technology as long as it doesn't harm nature. In order words, nature should be a higher priority to humans than technology. People should learn about the wonders of nature's, which already solves many human problems without technology.

Riverside Chat #37: What are Staged Media Events?

Staged media events go on all the time without people noticing. They often come in the form concerts, author book signings, celebrity interviews, trade shows and corporate shareholder meetings. Alex Cosper discusses the difference between scheduled promotional events and what are perceived as news events that might be similarly staged. He talks about recent and historical news events that were meant to create headlines.

Riverside Chat #36: Scenes from the 2024 California State Fair

This SacTV Riverside Chat takes place at Cal Expo, which sits on the American River. Alex Cosper talks about and shows scenes of the 2024 State Fair on Saturday, July 13, the day after opening day. The video shows exhibits, the big water fountain, booths, rides and surprises. At the end he runs into his radio friend of many years, Rick Batiste. The two worked at KWOD 106.5 together when the station was top 40 in the 80s and alternative in the 90s. The video concludes with Alex interviewing Rick about radio and mobile sound work.

Riverside Chat #35: Let's Ban Fireworks and Celebrate July 4th Other Ways

Independence Day should be celebrated in a way that doesn't damage the environment. Fireworks, unfortunately, pose health threats for the population and should be limited or banned. While Los Angeles and San Diego ban the use of fireworks completely, Sacramento leaders need to consider the same policy. Fireworks have been a long tradition, but each year scientists learn more about how they pollute the air and cause human illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

Riverside Chat #34: Review of the Awful Biden-Trump Debate

This riverside chat hosted by Alex Cosper is critical of both presidential candidates who faced off on CNN June 27, 2024. Biden's performance was particularly weak, as CNN revealed their instant poll gave Trump the victory. It's led to a discussion that Biden should be replaced on the ticket but it's an unlikely scenario due to Biden's commitment to running for a second term.

Riverside Chat #33: Why Cornel West Will Not Win the Presidency

Cornel West grew up in Sacramento before becoming a national figure who taught at Harvard. West is running as an independent candidate for President of the United States in the 2024 election. This riverside chat hosted by Alex Cosper explains why Dr. West and other third party candidates have no chance to win the White House. It has to do with not having the massive funds to compete with the two-party system that spends millions on media campaigns.

Riverside Chat #32: Presidents Who Visited Sacramento

Several U.S. presidents have visited California's Capital over the past 150 years. Alex Cosper goes through the list starting with Ulysses Grant in 1879, followed by Rutherford Hayes in 1880. Early presidents simply didn't make it out west, as California was not admitted to the Union until 1850. Every president since Harry Truman has come to Sacramento at one time, either before, during or after their administrations.

Riverside Chat #31: Improving Health by Seeing Through Junk Food Media

Consumers are constantly bombarded with media ads for junk food, which promotes poor health. In this Riverside Chat, host Alex Cosper discusses the harmful chemicals found in fast food and processed food and reasons people should seek alternatives. One of Sacramento's busiest streets is Arden Way, which provides a snapshot of American pop culture. At one time it was a haven for mom and pop restaurants, but now it's a common location for fast food. One of the ways people become addicted to unhealthy food relates to heavy promotion by big media.

Riverside Chat #30: Tech Giant Crushed by Complaints About Anti-Human Ad

Riverside Chat host Alex Cosper talks about Apple's apology for an iPad ad that depicted the device crushing the piano and guitar. The artistic community, which at one time was the company's core target market, flooded Apple with complaints about the ad, how it was offensive to creators. Artists want tech companies to provide tools so that human creators, not computers, can advance in art.

Riverside Chat #29: Moody Blues Co-Founder Mike Pinder Dies in Grass Valley

Grass Valley and Nevada City are quiet gold rush towns with thriving art communities. That could be what attracted Moody Blues co-founder and keyboardist Mike Pinder to the area. He was born in the UK and worked in electronics for the company that manufactured a pre-synthesizer keyboard called the Mellotron. This rich-sounding instrument helped pave the way for progressive rock bands in the 60s and can be heard on hits such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles and "Nights In White Satin" by The Moody Blues. Pinder died in Grass Valley at 82 on April 24, 2024.

Riverside Chat #28: Green Day's Multi-Platinum Connection to Sacramento

Green Day has been one of the best selling rock bands of the past 30 years. Their 1994 album Dookie on Reprise Records sold over 10 million units, which is considered an amazing milestone in the music industry. Riverside Chat host Alex Cosper shares his experiences meeting the band and reveals that they listened to Sacramento alternative radio station KWOD 106.5 in the 90s when they lived in the East Bay.

Riverside Chat #27: Spotting the Gold Rush of 2024

SacTV host Alex Cosper identifies gold as a market trend in April 2024. Unlike Bitcoin, which peaked in early March, gold prices have steadily outperformed the market. Alex explains how markets - including gold - go in cycles and how eventually prices will likely stabilize. He points out how hyperinflation at the supermarket calls for looking for discounts to high-priced items at dollar stores.

Riverside Chat #26: How Gold Can Be Controlled

When gold was discovered on the American River in 1849 the U.S. priced it at $20.69 per ounce. That price remained fairly stable for over a century, except for a few periods of volatility. By the Great Depression, the government raised the price of gold by $10 to meet the needs of the Federal Reserve. It was also made illegal for civilians to own. Eventually the U.S. abandoned the gold standard in 1971. Alex Cosper gives examples of how the price of gold can be manipulated by government and banks.

Riverside Chat #25: Calling Market Tops on Bitcoin and Rock Music

Alex Cosper points out in his prior Riverside Chat at the American River, he accurately called the market top on Bitcoin, which rallied up to about $73k in early March 2024. He compares the media distortion surrounding crypto with the media myth that "rock is dead." The video concludes with the Sunsetrip song "Rock N' Roll Saved The Day," set to river footage.

Riverside Chat #24: Economics of Corporatism and Price Gouging

This Riverside Chat at the American River hosted by Alex Cosper discusses corporatism and price gouging, which is the markup of pricing beyond what's fair for the public. Many states, including California, has laws prohibiting such practices, particularly in times of emergency. Price gouging goes against true capitalism, which is supposed to be a win-win-win for owners, workers and consumers.

Sunsetrip Medley 2024: Music Set to River Scenery

Here's a medley of Sacramento-based music project Sunsetrip, in which all the songs were written by Alex Cosper. The scenery comes from various locations at the American River. The songs come from the debut Sunsetrip album featuring songs about nature, social concerns and pop culture. Some of these songs include "A Century of Radio," "Nature's Lost Times," "Rock N' Roll Saved The Day," "Scene On The Riverside" and "Sonic Rain."

Riverside Chat #23: Utility of Gold, Bitcoin and Rocks

At one time the American River attracted settlers from around the world when newspapers wrote it was a haven for gold, leading to the California gold rush. But gold was still a scarce resource and many wealth seekers learned the hard way the bubble was bigger than reality. Rocks have always been plentiful at the river, yet they may have more utility in the real world than gold or Bitcoin. What is Bitcoin's utility? Not much if you ever find yourself stranded or lost at the river.

Riverside Chat #22: How Radio Hosts and Journalists are Replaced By the AI Craze

Alex Cosper talks about how the AI craze is causing media companies to rethink their business models. Instead of news or music being delivered by humans, there's a growing conversation among media owners as to how to improve profit margins using AI-generated content. Some radio stations are experimenting with automated AI voices while large newspapers are downsizing their newsrooms.

Videographer Kirk McCaleb Begins Work on Sacramento 80s Music Scene Documentary

SacTV.com host Alex Cosper interviews Sacramento musician/videographer Kirk ("Doug") McCaleb about his upcoming documentary on the local music scene in the 1980s. He was the drummer of the local alternative band Rhythm School. Kirk is working with singer Johnny Pride of The Features for the project. The Features were well known on the local circuit, regularly playing with Steel Breeze.

Interview with KFBK's Kitty O'Neal on Her Radio Career and Band Skyler's Pool

KFBK (1530 AM/93.1 FM) afternoon host Kitty O'Neal tells SacTV her story about her radio career and original music. Her journey traces back to Sac State then singing for local new wave band Secret Service. Kitty joined KFBK in 1984 and has been there since. She and her husband Kurt Spataro, an owner in several local restaurants, have played in the band Skyler's Pool for nearly a decade.

Riverside Chat #21: A Super Mix of 49ers, Media and Politics

As the San Francisco 49ers have advanced to their 8th Super Bowl appearance, this Riverside Chat hosted by Alex Cosper looks at the connections between the American River and where the 49ers got their name, from the gold miners of 1849. This episode also examines how the NFL excludes women and the political implications that arise from this fact. Alex reminds viewers of his video from a year ago called "No-touch 3-Player Football" that allows anyone to participate in football.

Riverside Chat #20: Can Radio Survive In The 21st Century?

Radio has long served local communities as a resource for news, information and entertainment. But in the 21st century there seems to be less need for people to listen to radio due to the internet. This Riverside Chat hosted by Alex Cosper explores how radio can no longer afford to pay local talent and whether it still serves local businesses as an effective vehicle for advertising. The discussion mentions how local radio legends Bob Keller and Pat Martin recently retired.

Interview with Dave Williams About Sacramento Radio in the 1970s

Dave Williams has been a familiar radio voice in Sacramento over the years. This SacTV.com interview explores his early radio career at top 40 AM stations 1240 KROY then 1470 KNDE in the seventies. He explains how it was a time of social change as radio led the way. Back then radio personalities had more freedom to grow and expand in creative ways. Dave went on to do mornings at KFBK from 1985 to 2000 before moving on to talk radio in Los Angeles and Dallas.

Riverside Chat #19: Sacramento Economic Data January 2024

Many people who think Sacramento is a "small town" are unaware it has the 30th biggest economy in the United States. This SacTV Riverside chat reviews GDP stats for Sacramento and other California cities. It gives an overview of local wealth and employment, as about a third of the workforce is employed by some level of government. Alex shares experience on how radio and media help local business.

Riverside Chat #18: When MLK Came to Sac State in 1967

This SacTV Riverside Chat looks back at when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made an historic visit to what was called Sac State College at the time on October 16, 1967. The civil rights leader spoke for over a half hour to over 6,000 attendees at Campus Stadium, which is now called Hornet Stadium. As part of a nationwide campus tour, he spoke about civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam War.

KFBK Morning Legend Dave Williams Interviews Kitty O'Neal

Dave Williams, the morning anchor at KFBK for many years, has shifted from radio to podcasting and has posted a recent interview with the station's long-running afternoon host Kitty O'Neal. Kitty talks about how she started at KFBK in the eighties, working for Morton Downey, Jr. then Rush Limbaugh. She also discusses the music she creates with her husband, multi-restaurant owner Kurt Spataro, for the band Skyler's Pool.

Riverside Chat #17: Sacramento TV Star Became Indie Filmmaker

Kicking off the new year, Alex Cosper hosts this Riverside Chat about the 60th anniversary of Sacramentan Max Baer, Jr. appearing on the top TV show at the time, The Beverly Hillbillies. Baer, who played "Jethro" on the show, went on to produce indie films such as the most profitable Box Office movie of 1974, Macon County Line. It was a low-cost, highly profitable film. Baer was the son of 1934 World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Max Baer, Sr., who was also a Hollywood movie star.

Riverside Chat #16: Reflecting on the 2023-2024 AI Craze

This New Year's Eve Riverside Chat hosted by Alex Cosper at the American River reflects on how the AI craze disrupted society in 2023. It particularly wiped out a lot of writing careers, as many website owners turned to AI-generated web content as a cost-cutting strategy. The AI craze might run into speed bumps in 2024, however, now that there are increasing lawsuits on copyright infringement and privacy violations related to AI technology.

Riverside Chat #15: Tribute to KZAP Legend Cary Nosler (Captain Carrot)

Cary Nosler, also known as "Captain Carrot," has passed away at age 79. He was an original KZAP radio member when the station launched in November 1968. Throughout his media career he gave health and nutrition tips. In the late 70s he was a national TV figure on the CBS show PM Magazine. This "Riverside Chat" includes a video interview with Cary in 2015.

Riverside Chat #14: From Sacramento to Wall Street

One of the most successful financial firms of all time originated from Sacramento. Charles Schwab was born in Sacramento and launched his first investment newsletter in 1963. He opened the company's first office in town as well, in 1975. The company went on to become the first discount broker and an early pioneer in online trading.

Del Paso Boulevard: What It Was, What It Is and What It Will Be"

This ABC10 report on the history of Del Paso Boulevard reflects on the community's image and the need for revitalization. It mentions how the Del Paso Partnership has received $280,000 the past few years from the City of Sacramento. The organization is requesting an additional $250,000 for revitalization.

Riverside Chat #13: How "Louie Louie" Impacted Sacramento, Indie Bands and the Music Industry

Many music historians point to "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen as the record that triggered a wave of "garage rock" in the 1960s. The Beatles and the British Invasion came shortly afterward, adding to the DIY dream that anyone can be a rock star with a small investment.

Riverside Chat #12: Reflecting on Rio Americano High's 60th Anniversary

This episode is a reflection of host Alex Cosper's high school days at Rio Americano, which in 2023 celebrates its 60th anniversary. He mentions successful alumni from the school such as actress Jane Sibbett from the TV show Friends and Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpening.

Riverside Chat #11: Sacramento's Connection to the JFK Assassination

Reflecting on the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination, this episode explores puzzle pieces of the case and how ex-California Governor Earl Warren headed the investigation. Warren was governor from 1943 to 1953, then was named U.S. Chief Justice, in which he served from 1953 to 1969.

Riverside Chat #10: Countering Bad News with Musical Medicine

Bad news is everywhere you turn in the broader media, but music can help reduce the stress and anxiety it causes. That's a modern perspective that many medical professionals have begun to embrace this century. The episode concludes with the original Sunsetrip song about healing through music called "Sonic Rain."

Riverside Chat #9: Sacramento Radio Interviews Set to American River Scenery

This episode takes radio interviews conducted by Alex Cosper on KWOD in the 1990s set to scenery of the American River. Interviews in this montage include "Weird Al" Yankovic, Andy Partridge from XTC, Danny Elfman, Alanis Morissette and more.

Riverside Chat #8: Interview with Indie Musician Paull E. Rubin

Indie rock musician Paull E. Rubin from Santa Barbara visits Sacramento on his road trip up and down the west coast to promote his 2023 CD Ride On! It's the first SacTV interview with a recording artist outside of the Sacramento area.

Riverside Chat #7: Tribute to Sacramento Filmmaker Frank Casanova

Sacramento filmmaker Frank Casanova passed away October 19, 2023. He ran a successful facility with his brother Fred called The Studio Center, which was eventually renamed Sacramento Media Center. A 2012 video interview series with Frank Casanova at his facility helped kick off SacTV.

Riverside Chat #6: Over The Harold Richey Bridge

This episode of SacTV's Riverside Chat series at the American River hosted by Alex Cosper talks about bridging the gap between the local music community and a music-driven economy. It includes the original song "Over The Bridge" with video footage of the Harold Richey Bridge, which connects Carmichael with Rancho Cordova.

Riverside Chat #5: Why Local Music Should Aim To Beat National Music

Picking up where the last episode left off, SacTV.com host Alex Cosper talks from the American River about the need for the Sacramento community to come together to support local indie music. History was made in August when independent recording artist Oliver Anthony from Virgina topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart without much radio airplay or the backing of a major label.

Riverside Chat #4: Timeline of Sacramento Indie Music

SacTV.com host Alex Cosper talks from the American River about the history of the Sacramento music scene and the importance of indie music. This video shows a timeline infographic of recording artists that were signed to major labels out of Sacramento since the 1940s.

Riverside Chat #3: Richard Wyckoff Moved from Wall Street to Sacramento

Richard Wyckoff is not a household name across America, but it's well known on Wall Street. He was a publisher of the Magazine of Wall Street from the early 1900s through the roaring 20s. As a trader, he accumulated millions of dollars. Wyckoff developed a method for trading based on market observations using technical charts.

Riverside Chat #2: 2023 California State Fair and Cal Expo Memories

This riverside chat recorded at the American River on August 3, 2023 reflects on the 2023 California State Fair, which set an attendance record of 65,000, according to the Sacramento Bee. Cal Expo's original water tower in 1968 appeared on the cover of the 100th issue of Sactown Magazine in July.

Cal Expo State Fair Tour 2023

Here's over three hours of video footage capturing the 2023 California State Fair at Cal Expo. This video shows activity at various booths and sites you might expect to see at a state fair. This home video was posted on YouTube by Honda Nguyen, uploaded July 15, 2023. It gives you views from all over the fairground.

Riverside Chat #1: Experimental Music of the Mind

SacTV.com kicks off a video series called "Riverside Chats" hosted by Alex Cosper. This first episode includes Alex's original song called "Experimental Music of the Mind" Parts 1 and 2. It's a 10-minute kaleidoscopic musical adventure set to entertaining original artwork.

Virtual Tour of Downtown Sacramento

Storyteller Vlade has lived in Sac for 13 years. His virtual tour of Sacramento captures scenes of the State Capitol and Golden 1 Center with views of Kings fans waiting outside the arena. He also provides views of the 2-level mall near Macy's and Golden 1 Center known as Downtown Commons.

Local Singer Gina Miles Wins on "The Voice"

Sacramentan Gina Miles won a 6-figure recording deal from Universal Music Group on the NBC TV show The Voice on May 23, 2023. Miles was originally from the small town of Paxton, Illinois, but now calls Sacramento her home.

Sacramento Tops Forbes' List for Best Place to Live in California

Sacramento has been named California's "Best Place to Live" by Forbes. The factors that put the city on top were size, low crime rate, diversity, available activities and cost of living. CBS Sacramento reports on the story, getting soundbites from several Sacramentans about why they enjoy the city.

American River Tour on SacTV

SacTV founder Alex Cosper hosts this video on the American River Parkway in Sacramento. This 13-minute episode was shot at William Pond Park in North Sacramento and River Bend Park in Rancho Cordova on Saturday, November 26, 2022. The two parks are divided by the Harold Richey Bike Bridge.

History of Sacramento Movie Theaters

Here's a video from Center for Sacramento History on local movie and drive-in theaters from 1949 through 1981. It includes old scenes of people standing in line at places such as Tower Theatre, The Alhambra, Sacramento 6 Drive-In and Starlight Drive-In.


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