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.
