I got quite a few anxious phone calls and e-mails last week after writing that comedian Lewis Black was scheduled to make a local appearance.

The problem? The venue - UC Davis' Mondavi Arts Center - had no mention of the show on its Web site.

You can all breathe a deep sigh of relief now, we have the most official of confirmations from the Mondavi camp.

Lewis Black. September 19. Mondavi Arts Center.

Tickets ($49.50 and $65.50) go on sale Aug. 2.

And, no, the event still isn't listed on the Mondavi site but, relax, it's really happening.

For more information, call (530) 754-2787.

Tough economic times call for - softly rocking Americana songs that are absolutely free?

Well, in my little corner of the world, yes.

Life as Ghosts, a local five-piece whose music reminds me of a cold desert night, is offering a free download of its newest song "El Famino."

It's a great way to preview the band's sound - they've got a record out "Sea to Shore," available now at The Beat (1700 J St. Sacramento) and R5 Records (2500 16th St.).

Visit the Life as Ghosts' MySpace page for the download and more info.

As part of its ongoing "Movies on a Big Screen" series, Shiny Object will host two screenings of the brand-new documentary "The Gits."

"The Gits," which shows at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday, tells the story of the famed Seattle punk band fronted by Mia Zapata until her murder on July 7, 1993.

Zapata's murder was still unsolved when director Kerri O'Kane started shooting "The Gits" in 2002. In 2003, DNA evidence linked Jesus Mezquia to the crime and in 2004 he was convicted of the crime and is now serving a 36-year-sentence.

"The Gits," which also details the closely knit, grunge-era Seattle scene, includes an interview with Joan Jett, After Zapata's death, Jett recorded an album with the surviving members of The Gits called "Evil Stig" - "Gits Live" backwards.

Shiny Object is located at 600 4th Street in West Sacramento. TIckets are $5. For more information visit the Shiny Object site. And, for more information on the film, go here.

Last month we told you about that !!! show scheduled for Aug. 26 at Harlow's (2708 J St, Sacramento).

Now, at long last, the ticket details on Sacramento's favorite dance-punk expats.

The show is a benefit for local Concerts 4 Charity efforts and proceeds will sponsor student music lessons.

Tickets ($12 - or $13.29 with the service charge) are now available through the Brown Paper Tickets site.

Well my bad, yesterday I told you that of all the local TV stations, only Fox40 had an active Twitter account. Turns out KCRA does too. Never mind that it's not that easy to find if you search the Twitter site, the address is Twitter.com/kcranews.

I'm not the only one who had trouble finding KCRA's Twitter feed, apparently - as of this posting they only had 58 followers (one of whom is now me).

Of course, that does beat Fox40 - as of this posting, they only have 49 followers (again, I'm one of them).

Which, of course begs the question, if a station Twitters and no one reads, does it have an impact?

Oh, and for the commenter who made this snide comment "Twitter and widgets? What about Doohickeys and Thingey's." (sic):

Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows you to post 140-character entries and "follow" other feeds - friends, family, TV news stations, etc. It's what the kids are into it, so make fun of it today, adopt it tomorrow, I guess.

In a push to engage online news users, the tinkerers behind Channel 13 (KOVR) and Channel 31 (KMAX) have finally given their web sites a little Web 2.0 spit and shine.

Specifically, you can now add Channel 13 and 31 "widgets" to your blog or social networking page (think Facebook, Myspace, et. al).

Widgets, by the way, are Web applications that deliver content to your site. The Channel 13 and 31 widgets can (depending on your preferences) deliver news feeds, videos. links and, yes, advertisements.

The stations' newest tech addition got me thinking - how useful / tech-forward are the other local TV news station Web sites?

While News10, KCRA and Fox40 offer mobile updates, none of them deliver widgets.

And, as far as I can tell, Fox40 (KTXL) is - surprisingly - the only local station with an active Twitter account.

E-mail me your thoughts on local TV web sites - what works, what doesn't (feel free to politely point out anything I've missed). Or, leave a comment below.

In this dog-eat-dog economic slump it helps to know people. People who can get you free stuff, that is.

Here's the deal, my buddy Ian - a former Bee employee, by the way - works for the Lied Center of Kansas which is the University of Kansas' performing arts center and is similar to UCD's Mondavi Center. Anyway, he tipped me off to a great iTunes giveway the center is sponsoring.

E-mail the powers-that-be at
lied@ku.edu to nab one of 50,000 iTunes cards good for 20 free songs.

It's not just any 20 songs, mind you. Rather, the card gets you 20 tunes by the likes of Phillip Glass, Laurie Anderson (pictured), the Soweta Gospel Choir, the Turtle Island String Quartet and Interpreti Veneziani.

They're all acts on the Lied Center's 2008-09 events calendar. Some of them, by the way, are also on Mondavi's calendar. Think of it as not just a great way to get free music - but also an opportunity to preview some of the performers visiting Davis this year (check out the Mondavi 2008-09 calendar here).

For more information, surf over to the Lied Center site.

One of the topics that came up when I interviewed Jewel, who appears Saturday at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre with Brad Paisley (read my story here here) was the subject of women in music and what it was like for her when her debut album "Pieces of Me" was released in early 1995.

Alanis Morissette released her debut album "Jagged Little Pill" later that year and, Jewel, notes there were big differences in the way the two artists were received. For one, Jewel's sound was a soft folk-pop and, initially, radio stations wanted nothing to do with her.

"When I first started out Nirvana and Soundgarden were king and they wouldn't arrest a girl," Jewel says.

Then Morissette exploded on the scene with her first single "You Oughta Know."

"Alanis sounded like one of the guys - it was very angsty rock and I was just this sincere little songwriter - very traditional sounding," Jewel says. "Getting me on the radio was (still) heck. I couldn't get my first single, 'Who Will Save Your Soul" on the radio for 10 months."

Once she did make it on the radio, of course, Jewel did very well; she's sold more than 18 million records since the start of her career. But, she adds, being a woman in music during the mid-90s definitely had its downside.

Jewel's success, along with that of Morissette's and others such as Meredith Brooks, Jill Sobule and Hole's Courtney Love meant that most female musicians - regardless of their sound - got lumped in together.

And it was the women who came before them that paid the real price, Jewel says.

"It was insulting - there were so many great women that came before us and (the press) was trying to act as if we invented the concept of women in rock," she says.

"We didn't - Joni Mitchell and Carole King and Rickie Lee Jones came before us. And before that it was Josephine Baker and Etta James and Nina Simone - there were always these women who did amazing, revolutionary things with music."

Consider yourself schooled.

I'm pretty sure the Beastie Boys had something else in mind when they sang "I did it like this, I did it like that, I did it with the Wiffle Ball bat" but, whatever, I'm still going to suggest you make like Boys and grab one of the plastic, perforated balls - for a good cause, of course.

That's because there are still a few slots open for the 4th Annual Pat and Tom / Clint Howard Wiffle Ball Challenge, scheduled for June 28 at Howe Park (2100 Howe Ave).

Yes, that would be Pat and Tom of 105.1 FM (KNCI) and, yes, that would be Clint Howard - Ron Howard's brother.

Here's the deal (and long story short), DJs Pat Still and Tom Mailey interviewed Clint a few years back and, somehow, the topic of Wiffle Ball came up; Howard told the guys how much he and Ron used to love playing the game and, from the sparks of an off-handed conversation, was born the idea for a charity tournament.

The tournament raises money and awareness for the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), a research organization that studies causes of and seeks treatment for various neurodevelopmental disorders.

It's a cause that's close to the heart for the country radio deejays, Still's son, who is autistic, is treated by doctors at the institute.

Howard, by the way, really does participate in the tourney; the first year they played was the same weekend that Ron Howard's "Da Vinci Code" opened in theaters and, after the tournament, Clint told the deejays that he'd had the better weekend - and that his brother would probably agree with him.

In addition to all the Wiffle Ball games, there'll also be a home run derby, raffle and lunch. Still and Mailey are hoping to get 32 teams of three players; team slots are now available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Interested? Learn more by visiting the Wiffle Ball Challenge site.

Out of the ashes of Prosper magazine, Sacramento-based business and lifestyle monthly that ceased publication in November, comes a blog aggregator with a local focus.

The new RiverWrap.com blog feed, which went live last week, currently features feeds from dozens of Sacramento-based blogs as well as other blogs that write about the RIver City.

"That's what's really unique about this blog aggregator - we're bringing in blogs from around the world, not just Sacramento," says Zach Melchiori, a web analyst for the midtown-based Prosper Media company that produces the site.

"We'd much rather have someone blogging in Cleveland about Sacramento than someone in Sacramento blogging about their cat," Melchiori said.

What that means is a focus that is squarely Sacramento-centric, focusing on the region's culture, food, politics, media, entertainment, etc.

Some of the usual Sactown suspects are already finding a presence on the site, including Heckasac, The Sac Rag, Sac Foodies and yes, even 21Q.

In addition to the standard blog feed - updated entries from the local blogosphere, RiverWrap features recent headlines (including, yes, from stories in The Bee) and a Top 10 Blog Posts chart highlighting entries with the most hits.

There's also a Flickr feed - any photos submitted to the popular photo-sharing site and tagged "Sacramento" will show up here.

In the future, Melchiori says, look for more site interactivity including the addition of user comments.

"We really want to drive more dialogue," Melchiori says.

In the meantime, RiverWrap fills a nice niche; the site is hardly exhaustive in its representation of Sacramento bloggers but it's nice to look at, easy to use and, at the very least, neatly echoes the voices of Sacramento.

And I'm not just saying that because a post I wrote just made the Top 10 chart. Honest.

Wednesday, I asked readers to weigh in with their opinions on how local TV stations were covering the regional fires.

And, aside from some readers who groused that The Bee wasn't covering the media coverage enough, results were pretty much divided among "too much" and "not enough."

Barbara Boudreaux commented in an e-mail that she thought "the fire coverage by KCRA is not only excessive but obsessive. If there is a fire anywhere, even a grass fire, it is always 'top of the news' and their cameras linger for long periods on the flames."

Meanwhile, Barbara Sanfilippo appreciated KCRA's coverage - mostly.

A blog reader identified as "RepublicanKid" believed News 10 (KXTV) was the clear winner.

"While I don't know if they broke into programming, News 10 had the best overall coverage. They utilized their website very well with live video until late afternoon with a live chat going between a producer in the newsroom and viewers, who often reported developments as they saw the smoke."

And, finally, Susan Read believed all broadcasting outlets dropped the ball.

"I work (near) Kiefer Blvd. and Jackson Highway and I could not find anywhere, on TV or radio, that would tell me if and which streets were closed to fight the fire," she wrote. "Bottom line, with all the coverage of the fire, road closures should have been at the top of what to report."

Thanks to everyone for the input, you can read all the blog comments here.

From the thank-goodness-this-wasn't-local files:

There are stupid anchor moments and then there unbelievably head-shaking, OMG-anchor moments.

All I can say is that Ken Bastida, an anchor for San Francisco's CBS affilliate, Channel 5 (KPIX), might want to take a refresher course on the importance of smooth transitions.

I mean, seriously.

And, by the way, Dana King, the co-anchor in question, is alive and well.

(Via, of all things, VH1's Best Week Ever blog)

Less than three months after being laid off by Channel 13 (KOVR), reporter Reggie Kumar is back on the air, this time at Fox40 (KTXL).

Fox40 news director Brandon Mercer confirmed in an e-mail to The Bee that Kumar is working in a "freelance capacity."

"Reggie has a talent for finding interesting stories, and bringing energy and creativity to his live reports," Mercer says.

And, in other local TV news, representatives from just about every station have called or written in to trumpet their respective station's coverage of the fires in the Sacramento and Stockton region.

It's certainly arguable (and I know you're ready to debate this) but it seems as if Channel 3 (KCRA) "won" the day by breaking into regular programming with two-hours-plus of mid-day coverage.

But, is quantity synonymous with quality?

As firefighters continue to battle blazes today, I'd like to hear from you - how well are the stations covering the story? Too much? Not enough?

Leave comments below or e-mail me at rleibrock@sacbee.com

In May, Sacramento media blogger RadioMatthew called it quits but now he's back - sort of.

RadioMatthew - who asks that we don't publish his offline, real-world name - tells us he's accepted a job as a Web producer with Fox40 (KTXL).

What this means for the rest of us, RM says, is that he may also soon return to the blogging realm.

So, you know, stay tuned.

Last week we told you about Channel 3 (KCRA)'s extended morning news coverage and extra chopper duty for the big I-5 fix.

Well, I was walking through William Land Park yesterday morning around 7:30 a.m. - near the Sutterville / I-5 juncture - and there were, I'm here to tell you, about a million helicopters hovering through the sky.

OK so maybe it wasn't a million, per se, but the sky was buzzing and I'm not quite sure what causing more of a problem traffic: The I-5 closure or all the people craning necks out their windows trying to see the hovering vehicles.

This morning it was just as bad - a colleague told me the 'copter noise interrupted her beauty sleep at 5 a.m..

Tell me, does anyone else out there think that, perhaps, just maybe, there's a bit of chopper overkill going on? (I won't even get into the topic of overall I-5 fix topic saturation.).

Oh, and all you eagle-eyed viewers who wrote in to note that former Channel 3 pilot-for-hire John Hamilton had shifted gears to work for Channel 13 (KOVR), sorry to disappoint you but Hamilton's not a permanent part of that news family (yet).

Hamilton, along with former KFBK guy Commander Bill, did indeed pull first-day commute duty for Channel 13 but station news director Cameryn Beck tells us it was just a one-time thing.

For now.

"John Hamilton and Commander Bill did fly for us Monday morning as part of our comprehensive coverage," Beck explained in an e-mail to The Bee. "It was one morning only, but we always keep all of our options open."

Stay tuned - and keep your eyes to the sky. Or not. Maybe we shouldn't encourage the mile-high congestion.

Pop singer Sarah Brightman just announced dates for her Symphony World Tour and Sacramento made the cut.

Brightman is scheduled to perform December 16 at Arco Arena.

Brightman, once married to Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, is widely known as the inspiration for Christine in Webber's adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera."

Off Broadway, she's earned a reputation as an accomplished pop singer whose songs are imbued with an operatic flourish.

Ticket details still pending so stay tuned.

May sweeps came to a close last week and, judging by some of the comments left here at 21Q (and similar e-mails in my in-box), a few of you are dying (dying!) to see the results in print.

Everyone take a deep breath now - the world is still spinning on its axis, with just a slight tweak of degrees.

Anyway, yes, folks, the rumors are true: For the first time since the dawn of time, Channel 3 (KCRA) did not take the 11 p.m. news time slot.

And, if we're looking at just the 11 p.m. slot, that win went to News10 (KXTV), with a 4.6 rating over Channel 3's 4.3 rating.

(Ratings chart the percentage of all homes with television; shares measure the number of TV sets turned on at a particular time.)

However, if you want to include the 10 p.m. news when talking about "late night" (and whether you do depends on whom you ask. Or which way the wind is blowing - take your pick), then Channel 13 (KOVR) actually nabbed the win, with a 5.5 rating.

(Oh yeah, and Fox40 (KTXL) also showed up to the party with a 3.7 rating for its 10 p.m. newscast, while Channel 19 (Univision) brought in a 1.0 rating for its 11 p.m. broadcast.)

Still, any way you slice it or dice it, it's a noticeable slip for Channel 3 from its February numbers in the same time slot (5.7).

Channel 3 news director Anzio Williams blames his station's notable dip on its parent network.

NBC's shown a decline in ratings across the board, Williams says.

"When prime-time viewership is down, then we have a harder time," Williams says. "Sometimes, we're the victims of what our networks give us, but I believe we're still in a solid position."

Certainly, there's no reason to cry them a river (yet). Channel 3 easily nabbed the midday news market, with a 3.3 rating over Channel 13's 2.8 and Channel 10's 2.7.

They also owned the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts, with 8.1 and 7.1 ratings, respectively, compared to Channel 13's 3.2 and 2.6 and Channel 10's 2.4 and 3.5.

The real story here, though, is just how poorly most of the stations are doing in the morning news race. While Channel 3 posted a gain at 5 a.m., eeking out a 2.2 rating over February's 1.8, it dipped ever-so-slightly at 6 a.m. (4.1, down from 4.2).

Channel 10 relatively stayed the course at 5 a.m. with a 1.1 rating but slipped at 6 a.m.with a 2.1 rating, down from February's 2.3.

Channel 31 (KMAX)'s numbers were down at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. (slipping from 2.1 and 2.7 ratings to 1.9 and 2.4, respectively), but up at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. (3.1 and 2.6 vs. February's 2.4 and 1.9).

As for Channel 13 (KOVR): That station showed no signs of life, dropping to a .7 rating at 5 a.m. - down from 1.0) and to a .99 at 6 a.m., down from 1.4.

Ouch.

Channel 3 (KCRA) will temporarily extend its morning newscast by a half hour, Mondays-Fridays. The goal, says news director Anzio Williams, is to offer a guide for those trying to make sense of any I-5 closure-related commuter headaches.

So, starting Monday, anchors Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Walt Gray will take their places behind the news desk at 4:30 a.m. instead of the usual 5 a.m. start time.

"We'll have helicopters out there navigating at 4:30 a.m. so no matter where you're coming from, you'll be able to figure (your route) out," Williams says.

The freeway closure is expected to run through July; the extended newscast will run through at least June 20.

Or, of course, you also could check out The Bee's up-to-the-minute 1-5 site to sign up for mobile alerts and track traffic conditions and routes. Just sayin'.

Fox40 (KTXL) general manager Bob Ramsey just confirmed the obvious: Not only was Brandon Mercer just named the station's new news directorbut Tom Burke, the guy who previously held that title has left the building.

Ramsey, calling from his office, declined to discuss the specifics of the shake-up, saying only that Burke is no longer with Fox40. Instead, Ramsey focused on Mercer's qualifications - Mercer's last gig was with Channel 13 (KOVR), where he worked as executive producer.

"We're looking to expand our news offerings in the morning and Brandon brings a ton of experience in that area," Ramsey says. "He has an incredible wealth of knowledge of the news market in Sacramento and incredible knowledge of successful news programming."

No word yet, however, on when viewers may expect to see more a.m. offerings.

"Stay tuned," Ramsey says.

Tom Burke has been replaced by Brandon Mercer as Fox40 (KTXL)'s news director. Mercer station-hopped over from Channel 13 (KOVR), where he was executive producer.

No word yet on the hows and whys of the change, and a spokesperson for the station has yet to return calls. Stay tuned.

A while back we told you about Sactown magazine's three Maggie awards. As it turns out, another Sacramento-based publication also won one of the coveted Western Publication Association awards.

California Builder, the California Building Industry Association's bimonthly membership magazine, earned recognition as Best Association publication for its May/June 2007 issue.

Click here for more information on the magazine.

And congratulations..

Those of you who tuned into Tuesday afternoon's Michael Savage show on KSTE (650 AM) were subjected to the conservative talk show host's not-so-charming reaction to the news that Sen. Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

First, the San Francisco-based Savage, whose show airs from 3-6 p.m. on 650 AM, played some "Kindergarten Cop" audio clips featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring "It's not a tumor."

Nice.

But, wait, there's more. Unfortunately. Declaring that he was showing respect for the senator, Savage played "California Uber Alles."

Yes, that would be a song by the Dead Kennedys.

Never mind that DK singer Jello Biafra has said that the band's name isn't actually (as many people believe) a reference to the senator's assassinated brothers, John and Bobby Kennedy. After reading lyrics from the song, Savage went on to say: "No gloating today, no laughter, all serious. You don't joke about a man's cancer."

Except, he just did.

Contrast this to local KSTE hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, who also took on the subject during their radio show this morning but with - and I never thought I'd say this - a million times more tact and respect.

While the duo didn't shy away from discussing Kennedy's 1969 Chappaquiddick scandal, in noting the differences in media coverage then and now, Armstrong and Getty managed to avoid any cheap jokes.

Actually, they didn't make any jokes at all - even so-called jokes dressed up as "tributes."

And to that, I'm not afraid to say, good job.

It's come to our attention that the pro-Hillary Clinton/anti-NBC protest we told you about Monday is actually happening today.

Protest organizer Tanya Clarke blames the wrong date on crossed wires but assures us they'll be out at 3 Television Circle at 5:30 p.m.

And, judging by the number of comments the last post generated, I'm guessing there's high interest in this demonstration - which is also happening at other NBC affiliates nationwide. Stay tuned.

Hillary Clinton supporters are set to demonstrate outside the Channel 3 (KCRA) studios (3 Television Circle) at 5:30 today as part of a nationwide protest against NBC.

Members of the HillaryClintonforum.net, allege that NBC displays an "anti-Hillary" bias in its news coverage; protests are planned at NBC affiliates across the country today.

Channel 3 news director Anzio Williams declined to comment on the impending protest other than to say, "We're a television station and we cover (all the politicians) in an equal way."

A representative for the protest could not be reached for comment.

They're not billing it as a debate, per se, but we're certain some political sparks will fly when mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson and Mayor Heather Fargo sit down for an in-depth interview on today's "Insight" radio show.

Hosted by Jeffrey Callison, the show airs from 2-3 p.m. on KXJZ 90.9 and will focus on Johnson and Fargo's visions for Sacramento.

Callison, who covers everything from music and movies to books, current events and politics on his show, is an interesting and provocative interviewer so it should be good one.

For more information, visit the "Insight" Web site.

After just a year and pocket change on the job, Matt Coker has been fired as managing editor over at the Sacramento News & Review.

SNR president and CEO Jeff von Kaenel confirms that Coker, who came here from the OC Weekly in April 2007, was dismissed May 7.

von Kaenel also confirms that the paper's arts editor, Jonathan Kiefer, has resigned.

von Kaenel declined to offer additional info, other than to say that longtime SNR editor Melinda Welsh will serve as managing editor until a permanent replacement is found.

"(Melinda and I) have worked together for 20 years and we'll continue to make sure we're putting out a great paper," von Kaenel says.

News10 (KXTV) is laying off eight newsroom employees, Russell Postell, the station's president and general manager, has just confirmed.

Actually, that's not quite how he put it.

"It's a realignment of resources - I don't call these layoffs," Postell says.

Whatever you call it, eight people will be "transitioned" - Postell's words - out of their jobs between now and November.

All of those positions will in the master control and graphics departments, and no on-air talent, reporters or producers are affected, Postell says.

Reason? In a move that echoes Channel 13's layoffs in March, new technology is being blamed.

"We'll be installing new technologies that allow us to produce more efficient newscasts," Postell says. "It's not about finances - it's about the development of technologies that (allow us) to continue to provide quality content."

More specifically, some of News10's graphics will be outsourced to a Denver-based hub that also will provide art for other Gannett-owned stations.

Viewers won't notice any changes, Postell says, other than "except maybe higher-quality graphics."

He declines to discuss severance packages or if the station is planning any future layoffs. Or, for that matter, realigned resources.

Due to illness, the Etta James show scheduled for Friday evening at the Radission Hotel has been canceled.

Ticket refunds are available at the place of purchase.

For more information, go to the Radisson Web site or Ticketmaster.com, or call (916) 920-7310.

Sactown magazine nabbed three Western Publication Awards - a.k.a. the Maggies - last week, besting some impressive competition, including Mother Jones and Sunset magazines.

The honors: Best Series of Editorial Photographs/Consumer for Max Whittaker's Afghanistan photo essay in the June/July issue; Best Overall Design - Consumer, for the April/May issue, and City & Metropolitan/Consumer for the August/September issue.

Whittaker's winning photo essay, by the way, also has been chosen to appear in the upcoming "Photography Annual for the Communication Arts." The book also will feature photos from the likes of Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone magazines.

Fine. You win, "Good Day Sacramento," you win.

We tried - tried hard - to avoid blogging about Mark S. Allen's run-in with a cow at the Dixon May Fair - and this, despite a prediction that the cow-patty clip would end up on this here blog. It all just seemed too, well, easy.

But then the rest of the world caught wind - sorry - of Allen's smelly bovine encounter (Lucky us that "GDS" is not Smell-O-Vision equipped - yet) and, well, here's to the 15 minutes of fame that Allen's long-ago Comedy Central stint didn't earn him.

Seriously, TMZ (I know, right?!) and Dave Barry blogged about the clip.

Gives new meaning to the term "viral video."

The Northern California Area Emmy Awards were handed out in San Francisco Saturday, with several of the shiny statues going home with Sacramento winners.

KUVS Univision 19 was the big local winner, taking home 38 statues in 13 categories, including Feature News Report - Light series; Continuing Coverage, and Public/Current/Community Affairs - Feature Segment.

Perhaps even more impressive, reporter Santiago Lucero (pictured in a photo courtesy of KUVS) snagged five awards, including a nod for Specialty Assignment Report, to make him the most-honored individual overall.

Other Sacramento area winners include Channel 13 (KOVR) for Informational/Instructional Feature Segment, and Channel 6 (KVIE) in the Writer/Program category.

For a complete list of winners, visit EmmySF.tv.

OK, so I've kinda been avoiding posting about all things Armstrong & Getty lately, and I already wrote about the folks over at "Good Day Sacramento" once this week....

But....

Honestly, this really feels kind of cheap and easy - like shooting talking fish in a barrel.

But, again....

What the heck? I'm not going to editorialize, I'm just going to set up the premise and then let you draw your own conclusions (or make your own jokes).

The deal: On Wednesday, KSTE (650 AM)'s Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty were doing their radio show and also watching Channel 31's "Good Day Sacramento" (with the sound off) when one of them made a comment along the lines of "I don't know who freaking watches that mindless crap."

After professing love for "GDS' " Mark S. Allen, Nick Toma and Chris Burrous, the pair went on to speculate that people who willingly watch early TV shows much be a) fat, b) somehow physically limited, or c) stupid.

OK, so the "GDS" folks - alerted by a loyal watcher - weren't too happy by the characterization, obviously. And after much harumphing about how Jack & Joe used to have a morning TV show, but obviously that didn't work out and blah blah blah, they challenged A&G to a paintball battle.

And then, this morning, to reiterate their points (and the challenge), they lugged their cameras into the A&G studio to "confront" the duo.

All of which kind of makes me think this is just sort of in-cahoots sweeps stunt.

But hey, I said I wasn't going to judge....

Watch the "Good Day Sacramento" clip and decide for yourself.

You also can listen to the original A&G remarks here, or today's comments here.

Like I said, cheap and easy. I feel so dirty now.

Legendary singer Tina Turner's hitting the road again with those fabulous gams of hers (and, of course, vocal pipes).

The show, scheduled to arrive Oct. 22 at Arco Arena, will showcase the highlights of Turner's enduring, influential career and will include a full band with flashy choreography and lights.

Awesome.

Tickets ($57.75-$150) go on sale at 10 a.m. May 19 through TicketMaster.com.

And, speaking of awesome, another enduring diva is packing her road trunk.

Yes, the one-and-only Madonna is launching her globe-trotting Sticky & Sweet tour this summer.

But you're gonna have to make the 90ish mile drive for that one, cos she'll be in Oakland, Nov. 1 at the Oracle Arena. Tickets ($55-$350) go on sale at 10 a.m. June 1 through LiveNation.com and TicketMaster.com.

Don't know about you, but I actually really like her new album "Hard Candy" - especially the title track and the "4 Minutes" single.

Oops, now that song's going to be totally stuck in my head again.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go hyperventilate into a paper bag at the diva awesomeness of it all.

So "Good Day Sacramento's" Mark S. Allen was in Davis this morning, shooting a hard-hitting piece about a kid trying to catapult a Curious George doll through the city's Slide Hill Park.

Aside from the burning questions as to why someone would want to do this and why the heck you'd even send a reporter out to cover it, that's not what caught our attention.

Here's the deal: Park supervisors weren't too keen on the kid's plan and apparently called in police for backup. The police, however, weren't really sure if it's a crime to catapult a stuffed monkey, admitting that the action fell into a legal "gray area."

So, as the police tried to figure out the ins-and-outs of the doll-launching laws, Allen decided it was time to hurry up with the show and just shoot the damn thing already.

Not so fast. Turns out the park supervisors really didn't like the idea and decided to stand in the direct path of the unlucky plushie.

So, Allen, not wanting to invite a possible lawsuit, trotted off to ask them to move.

And, get this - they refused. The nerve! Seriously folks, Allen is peeved, protesting "We're on live TV right now!" Meanwhile, back at the "Good Day Sac" ranch, things go from stupid to embarrassing when anchor Nick Toma gets really put out by the whole affair, going as far as to fake-snore (because park supervisors bore him?) and even boo loudly.

A few other Toma gems:

"Is there any wonder why people make fun of Davis?"

and:

"Kinda makes me want to hit (the park supervisor)." (C'mon, Toma - even Mark S. Allen didn't think that was a good idea.)

and:

"I'm looking up another word for 'Jerky McJerkestein.' "

Huh?

Watch the clip and decide who the real Jerky McJerkestein is.

Here's a show that slipped in past the deadline for today's Coming Distractions column: Teddy Geiger and Hilary McRae, June 13 at the Empire (1417 R St.).

Geiger is a 20-year-old pop phenom (and occasional actor: TV's "Love Monkey" and the upcoming flick "The Rocker") - he reminds me of a young Rufus Wainwright.

McRae (pictured, photo by Henry Diltz) is an up-and-coming pop-jazz vocalist - and the first new, developing artist to be signed to Starbucks' Hear Music label. Yes, that's her debut album "Through These Walls" that you see every time you order that double-whip, half-caf frappucino.

Tickets ($10 advance, $12 door) for the all-ages show go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday through the Beat, R5 Records, Dimple Records, Armadillo Music, all Tickets.com outlets (inside select Raley's and Bel Air Supermarkets) and Tickets.com.

May is sweeps month - that time when broadcasters try to grab your attention (and, thus, more advertisers).

Sometimes, this can be a good thing, with stations adding interesting content. And, sometimes, well, not so much.

Which is where you come in. If, during your daily channel surfing, you come across anything particularly weird, outrageous or just plain stupid in local broadcasting, send me an e-mail (and please include your name and city of residence).

But, please, local stuff only - there's no way I can even try to keep up with the Heidis, Paulas and Dr. Phils of the world.

Your suggestions may or may not end up as part of a future 21Q post - but just think if you do - finally, a chance to be Internet Famous.

Thanks in advance!

Bummer news in the Sacto blogger realm: Local online media scribe RadioMatthew has called it quits, blog-wise.

In an entry posted today, RadioMatthew (a frequent 21Q commenter, btw), explained it thusly:

I was offered a competitive position at a local Sacramento television station that I believe deserves my focus now. The position will start out as an internship and hopefully grow to be something more, though time will tell on that one. I look forward to this exceptional opportunity the station has given me to prove myself to them.

In the meantime, I intend to take this free time away from the blog by spending it with the people who matter the most to me—people who have been very supportive during my blogging career and understood the sacrifice in time and presence I needed in order to keep this running daily.

Good luck, but hopefully this doesn't mean RM will be permanently MIA from this part of the Interweb. One thing's for sure: RadioMatthew posts will remain archived at the site and you can still check out his other venture, the SactownMedia forum and wiki pages.

Time for another installment of "Where in the World is...?" A reader e-mailed inquiring on the whereabouts of Fox40 Morning News reporter Kye Martin.

Seems like Martin's been MIA for a few months now, although a Google search of her name still turns up a bio on Fox40's Web site.

In actuality, Martin left Fox40 (KTXL) earlier this year, but someone forgot to tell the Internet.

Fox40 news director Tom Burke, for one, was surprised that the reporter's bio page was still on the station's site.

"That's still on there?" Burke says of the errant page. "It lives!"

While the IT guys scurry to fix that little detail, here's the dish: Martin left the station in January to move to Chicago to be with her fiance.

"We were disappointed that she left - we thought the world of her," Burke says. "She was exactly the kind of reporter you wanted for a morning show - quick turnaround and quick energy."

Speaking of Fox40 (and we were - stay with me now), tonight, the station is launching a new six-part series examining the complexity of mother-daughter relationships.

"Mothers and Daughters: The Joys and Tears" will air Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 10:15 p.m. through May 14.

Topics include body image, boys, teen privacy and my personal favorite: "I'm turning into my mother!"

"We'll be looking at these issues and conflicts, talking to local moms and daughters," Burke says.

It's just in time, of course, to capitalize on Mother's Day (May 11, FYI), and the latest Miley Cyrus scandal.

Actually, Burke says, the series is a natural fit with Fox40's regular Tuesday/ Wednesday night programming, which, of course, includes "American Idol."

"We have a phenomenal amount of viewers - women and teen (girls) - watching Fox40 on those nights," Burke says. "(During those time slots), our share on the 18-49 female demographic is through the roof."

Sacramento's Univision affiliate today expanded its weekday morning news show, boosting "A Primera Hora" from one hour to two. Here's how it'll work: Previously, "Primera" aired from 6 to 7 a.m. on Channel 19 (KUVS); now viewers can tune in for an extra hour - from 7 to 8 a.m. - on sister station TeleFutura 64 (KTFK).

The second hour features "Primera" anchors Maribel Lopez, Gustavo Ortiz and Viviana Paez.

"This is a way for Univision to get local news on KTFK," says
Univision spokeswoman Kristie Gong.

In addition, Univision is rebroadcasting "Voz y Voto" - a locally produced political-topics show that airs at 11 a.m. Saturdays on Channel 19 - at 7:30 a.m. Sundays on TeleFutura 64.

Several alert local news watchers have e-mailed me in the last week to inquire on the whereabouts of Channel 3's John Hamilton.

Seems that KCRA's veteran LiveCopter pilot has been MIA recently, away from his usual gig alongside Dann Shively.

And unlike the also-absent KCRA meteorologist Eileen Javora, currently at home recuperating from a broken arm, it doesn't sound like he's coming back.

That's because Channel 3 news director Anzio Williams confirms that Hamilton left KCRA two weeks ago. Williams declined to give a reason, instead directing questions to Hamilton, who also runs his own helicopter service.

Calls to Hamilton by 21Q, however, have so far gone unanswered.

So there's your answer - kind of. Stay tuned.

Poor Carly Smithson (pictured, photo courtesy of Fox) got the boot Wednesday night on "American Idol," but at least the Irish rocker can take comfort knowing she'll be part of this summer's American Idols Live tour.

Which, by the way, is scheduled to hit July 9 at Arco Arena.

In addition to Smithson, this year's talent show lineup features current contestants Brooke White, David Archuleta, David Cook, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado.

Also on the bill: Ousted singers Chikezie, Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns and Ramiele Malubay.

Tickets go on sale May 17 - stay tuned for more details or visit tour.americanidol.com.

Here's some real, er, breaking news:

If you're wondering why Channel 3's Eileen Javora's gone missing, rest assured - the KCRA meteorologist is still with the station. Javora (pictured, courtesy of KCRA) is just enjoying the cool spring weather from the comfort of her home.

Reason: Javora broke her arm.

Ouch.

No, it wasn't an on-the-job injury. Reporting on the weather can be dangerous, but not usually in that way - unless, of course, you're Anderson Cooper.

"She was playing around with some friends and broke her arm - now she's in recovery," explains Channel 3 news director Anzio Williams.

"We're not really sure when she'll be back, but she will be back."

Money's tight these days, but if you have a couple of bucks to spare, consider sending them to Davis.

More specifically, to UC Davis' college radio station KDVS 90.3, which is hosting its annual on-air fundraiser through Sunday. Monies raised will go toward station costs and operations.

You can pledge as little or as much as you like and, in return, snag cool goodies such as T-shirts and music. A $100 pledge will get you the chance to host your own hour-long radio show - finally, the chance to subject the world to show off your awesome music knowledge and tastes.

Tune into 90.3 on the FM dial for more info, call (530) 754-5387 or (888) 654-6294. Or kick it new school by clicking here.

Just in case today's Coming Distractions column wasn't jam-packed enough for your sonic likings, here are a few more shows that just hit my desk this morning:

First up, the California State Fair folks have announced this summer's concert line-up. The fair runs Aug. 15-Sept. 1 and those set to take the stage include Weird Al Yankovic (Aug. 18), "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens (pictured, Aug. 22), and Grand Funk Railroad (Aug. 29).

Concert admission is free with the price of State Fair admission. You can, however, also snap up special reserved "Gold Circle" seats. All tickets (including general admission tix) go on sale May 1 through Tickets.com.

For more details, check out my colleague Bruce Dancis' story.

Then, when summer's over (well, in the datebook at least, if not in regards to temperature), mark your calendar for t