Local producer and businessman Tony Savo announced today he will be hosting "Sactown Famous" a new reality show set to begin production in the Sacramento region late next week. The show will be produced by Savo's Coalition Media Group in association with One Mil Records and will spotlight the areas local talent, events and nightlife as well as feature exclusive interviews with the Capital city's biggest names. Tony Savo says: "Sacramento's a very diverse and dynamic city and I think it should be celebrated. We got the Kings, the River Cats, the UFC's Urijah Faber and the Maloof's Global Skateboarding Initiative just for starters... there's a lot to take pride in if you call this place you

In a world where nearly everyone has a smartphone or an iPod and news flashes are delivered in 140 characters or less, the landscape of news media is rapidly changing. Here is a quick roundup of recent changes in the local news outlets: Sacramento News & Review: Looking for a new editor The Sacramento News & Review has been a print publication since 1989, and Melinda Welsh has been the editor for most of that time. About a week ago, she decided to step down, and now the News & Review is conducting a nationwide search for her replacement. “I love the job, it’s the coolest job,” Welsh said Friday. “But it’s been long enough. Eighteen years as an editor? It’s time to do something different

SacTV.com, a website aiming to showcase videos that give a “virtual tour of Sacramento” launched Monday, with local radio veteran Alex Cosper at the helm. “Basically, it’s like the YouTube of Sacramento, minus all the garbage,” he said Thursday. The 49-year-old founder of the site said that “garbage” consists of videos with bad audio and recording qualities as well as really shaky camerawork. “It’s a chance for anyone in Sacramento to voice an opinion or post a review that’s relevant to other Sacramentans,” he said. Videos currently on the site include clips of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s pitch to keep the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, an aerial video of Folsom Lake and several musical per

After an original Oct. 20 show date that had to be rescheduled, alt-rock powerhouse Foo Fighters performed at Power Balance Pavilion on Tuesday night for about 10,000 fans. Opening the show was fantastic L.A. punk band The Bronx, playing as their alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx, which is less a gimmick than you might think. What started as a lark for the punk band has grown into a love that has seen the band release two mariachi albums and gain a following, and, yes, they stay true to the authentic mariachi style of music as well as wear black charro suits. The band performs in a variety of ways, sometimes incorporating mariachi into their punk set, sometimes performing as a punk band and m

I was a radio groupie. Much like it sounds, it fell somewhere between teenaged werewolf and rock & roll groupie. I begged for the attention of silky or raspy-voiced radio guys, who, because the internet had not yet been invented, I was free to invent images of for weeks—or even months, until I could stalk them, that is, track them down, in person. It was the ‘80s. Radio personalities were still allowed that luxury, personality. They actually went to the State Fair and hung around in the sweltering heat under the tent and talked to people. They went to clubs like the Shire Road Pub, Eldorado Saloon, Club Can't Tell or Oasis Ballroom and introduced the bands. Some drank at the bar durin

Woodland, Calif. gave SXSW, Coachella and the Treasure Island Music Festival a run for their money this weekend. Local dive bar Plainfield Station, located on County Road 98, was host to the 11th edition of Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom, a 12-band music festival put on by Davis radio station KDVS 90.3 FM. The UC Davis Samba School, Produce Produce, Kites Sail High, Alak, Moon Pearl, Gaarth, Charles Albrigt, Nobunny, Ellie Fortune, Appetite, Zach Hill and headliner R. Stevie Moore all graced the bar’s backyard stage. With KDVS at the helm, O:RMF was brought to fruition back in 2005 as an outlet for “new, creative music of the most sincere artistic scruples,” and has been held twice a

Sacramento TV reporter Jonathan Mumm – host of KXTV News 10's California Postcard and Mumm at the Movies – will retire from the station this month after nearly 30 years. But don't expect to find him spending afternoons playing checkers just yet. The five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist is just moving his energy and talent east to Roseville Performing Arts (RPA) Studio, which he owns with his wife, singer and music teacher Roberta Mumm. About a year after joining News 10 on July 11, 1983, Mumm became the reporter and producer for the station's new travel feature series called California Postcard. The show ran twice a week for 15 years, took an eight-year hiatus and resumed in May 2007

Throughout my 'radio' years here in Sacramento, people have asked me about my involvement with FEAT--a non-profit organization of parents, family members, and treatment professionals dedicated to providing best outcome Education, Advocacy and Support for the Northern California Autism Community. FEAT stands for Families for Early Autism Treatment. My answer is simple. Someone in the media needed to help. When I first started to help FEAT the term autism was still relatively unknown to the mass audience. Back then, when one would say, autistic--people thought we were saying, artistic. I knew I needed to help with the enlightenment of autism. I realized then, these parents needed more than a

Access Sacramento opened its doors and studios to the public to mark its 25th year of offering community media for Sacramento County. For 25 years, nonprofit organization Access Sacramento has been “making a difference, one voice at a time,” through its commitment to covering local entertainment, high school sports and cultural events. Saturday’s event will showcase what local media has to offer the community and how attendees can play a major role in community reporting. I was 'the media covering the media' as I roamed around snapping photos for a couple of hours. Here are some shots: Many special guests including Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, City Councilman Steve Cohn, Supervisor

News is no longer designed for idle consumption: It is becoming more and more interactive as bloggers, community journalists, Twitter users and witnesses equipped with smart phones make their mark in distributing news. Access Sacramento will be hosting its 25th anniversary celebration Saturday and invites you to be seen and heard by telling your stories through digital media. The event also kicks off “Sunshine Week” (March 13 - 19), a national effort promoting the freedom of information and open government. To help celebrate Sunshine Week, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and city, county and state agency representatives will be in attendance. Access Sacramento is having an open house from noo

No discussion on alternative rock circa 2000 would be complete without mention of Papa Roach and their radio-ready hit single “Last Resort,” especially if you were in high school or college during that time. The Vacaville band (also known for singles “Scars,” “Forever” and “Lifeline”) broke out of Sacramento and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide. They return this weekend for a two-night stand at the recently opened venue Ace of Spades, touring behind their seventh album, "Time for Annihilation." More alternative rock than nu-metal now, the band can probably still be counted on to deliver a high-energy rock show filled with heavy guitars, sharp hooks and “guy liner.”

In a tiny, 12-by-10 room cluttered with microphones, headphones, soundboards and telephones, a message will soon escape from the confines of the small studio suite and spread throughout Sacramento and its surrounding regions. A message that, according to its messenger, transcends its own transmission. Robert Briggs, 43, a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in midtown Sacramento, burns the candle at both ends with one end in mind: that the kingdom of God be furthered in the souls of men and women unfettered. On this particular December, Wednesday morning, Briggs prepares to record a pair of 24-minute messages from the book of Romans that will subsequently air two consecutive Friday aftern

The stage performance of “Old Time Radio” is a visual recollection of an entertainment era that was rooted deeply in the world of radio broadcasting. Bob Gerould, of Bob and Ro Productions, was inspired to bring radio to the stage based on his love of old radio shows. Gerould used to work in live radio during the ‘60s and even performed a segment for children. “I grew up in the era of radio,” Gerould said. Gerould’s awareness of the entertainment value of old radio shows, and having heard of a theater in Seattle performing some, compelled him to bring his own favorites to a new audience. “These are original scripts from old-time radio shows,” Gerould said, “We act the whole thing out a

Three members of the Plain White T’s, Tom Higgenson, Tim Lopez and Mike Retond, made an appearance at Café 15L/Park Ultra Lounge Thursday evening and played an acoustic five song set to 100 plus adoring fans. The show was put on by the radio station Now 100.5 and follows similar performances by Colbie Calliat and the Goo Goo Dolls. The Plain White T’s, which was founded in 1997, made a name for themselves with their Grammy nominated hit single “Hey There Delilah,” which took over the airways in 2008. Together with “1-2-3-4” the band sold over 5 million digital downloads. Now, the Plain White T’s are releasing a new album, ‘Wonders of the Younger’ via Hollywood Records on December 7th.

After nearly 5 years away from the spotlight, the Goo Goo Dolls are releasing a new album titled 'Some For the Rest of Us' (August 31, 2010). To help promote the new album, the band brought their grunge style to the Park Ultra Lounge were they performed for 100 select fans of the radio station - Now100.5. The Goo Goo Dolls walked on stage at 4:00pm and played for about 20 minutes. They performed three new songs ‘The Sweetest Lie’, ‘Home’, and ‘As I Am’ and an older but fan favorite ‘Slide’. From the bands first appearance to their final song, it was obvious just how much the fans loved them. Between songs, Brian (the night DJ from Now100.5) asked the band non-scripted fan questions and w

With a focus on strengthening and expanding its news, information and public affairs content, Capital Public Radio has named Joe Barr Director of News and Information Programming.   In this new position, Barr, who previously served as Capital Public Radio News Director, will oversee the station’s news and information format, including local news, the daily talk show Insight, the California Capitol Network statewide news service and the Second Opinions health care forums as well as national news programming on CPR.   Capital Public Radio will soon be creating two more News and Information positions: a senior editor and business reporter. The station will be opening a bureau in Stockton

Capital Public Radio Introduces JazzStream 24-Hour Online Jazz Music Capital Public Radio today introduced JazzStream. This new resource explores the vibrant artistry of jazz online, 24 hours a day at www.capradio.org/jazzstream. In addition to the new JazzStream, Jazz fans can find expanded online radio options in the “On Demand” section at Capital Public Radio’s website, capradio.org. Signature programs like Acid Jazz, Classic Jazz and Swing or Mick Martin’s Blues Party are frequently updated. Listeners tuning to Capital Public Radio’s news/jazz stations enjoy public radio’s non-commercial format, and that extends to online and on-demand content. “At a time when commercial radio stati

In a videotaped deposition of Entercom Communications President and CEO David Fields, he talked about his rise to the Presidency of his father's company at the same time radio consolidation occured. Fields said that they owned about a dozen radio stations in 1988, whereas by 2000, they owned roughly 100. (Today Entercom owns 300 according to their website.) As a result of consolidation, they changed their business model to have three regional Vice Presidents who would oversee the market managers, who were each in charge of about six radio stations. He said that his market managers acted like CEO's. Fields said it was not the job of Sacramento Market Manager John Geary to be involved in a

Station Manager not told what Dangerous meant In a videotaped deposition dated July 12, 2007, KDND station manager Steve Weed testified as to his forty plus year radio career. His role at KDND was to coach on air talent with the goal of entertaining and getting listeners, helping performers improve their craft, and making musical decisions. Part of his job was to listen to the various programs to look for deficiencies and help correct them. He said he punched in and out of the morning Rave the day of the contest, but felt the contest was consistent with those they'd had for the six years of the Morning Rave program. Although he supervised Pechota, Weed said his responsibility was to super

Fans of a popular Top 40 music station have nothing to worry about -- KDND 107.9 FM "The End" isn't dropping their popular music format, they're just dropping the commercials. On Tuesday, KDND announced on their Twitter.com page that the station was going to "say goodbye" to something on the station. Fans speculated "The End" was going to change music formats or go off the air altogether. However, a FOX40 News viewer named Andrew discovered a hidden webpage on KDND's website that spelled out the station's intentions: The End was planning to announce a commercial-free format every Tuesday between 9:30am and midnight. Shortly after FOX40.com broke the news of "The End's" Tuesday announcem