I Want My Public Access TV
Music television doesn’t have to suck.
By Erik Fong

It’s common knowledge that music trends always come full circle, and if my hot pants and recent discovery of this brand new duo from Philadelphia called “Hall and Oates” are any indication of my super-ultra-hipster status, then you’ll trust my cutting-edge vision when I publicly predict that the next Adam Curry and Tabitha Soren are right around the corner.

Remember when MTV gave a shit? Ah, the good ol’ days. The concept was fresh, the waters were untested, the VJs were green, the videos were primitive, Michael Jackson was still black and Madonna was almost a convincing virgin. The channel has shittified a bit since then, and while MTV has lost its pioneering spirit and settled for, well, crap, there are people here in the Bay Area who are taking things into their own hands.

Maybe it’s because consolidation is limiting our choices in television programming. Or maybe it’s because Kurt Loder is an inspiration to music television journalism. In any case, public access television provides a little-known haven for quality music television programming the likes of which even Ken Ober and Colin Quinn have not seen. Free from the burdens of corrupt program directors, payola, hidden corporate agenda and Carson Daly, these programs exist to deliver the music that hits them the hardest. No bull shit. Plus, with the local flavor, you can rest assured that a team of 60-year old suits isn't sitting in a New York office acting like it knows what San Francisco wants.

In my endless quest to find more reasons to sit and watch television instead of actually doing something productive, I scanned the Bay Area’s public access stations and gathered a small collection of local music programs worth viewing. Though I do question their tastes, for I still have yet to see the video for Hall and Oates’ brand new song “Maneater,” which, by my estimates, is sure to soon be “#1 with a bullet.” But I’m waiting patiently. Hall and Oates videos can’t be so bad that they’re not worth showing on public access… can they?


Show: Video Vision
When: Fridays, 11pm (interviews air every first and third Saturday, 11pm) on Access San Francisco Channel 29
Area: San Francisco
Style: Rock, Dance, Urban
WWW: www.videovision.org

Video Vision boasts a vault of over 3,000 music videos including Johnny Cash, Ladytron, Les Nubians, Cato Salsa Experience, Blur, The Raveonettes and The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The web site, as well as the television show itself – which has aired since 1996 – both hold a wealth of entertainment for music lovers, including reviews and interviews. They even take requests – just visit the web site, fill out a form and sit in front of your TV until it comes on. It’s almost too easy.


Show: Groove TV
When: Saturdays, 11pm on Santa Cruz Community Television Channel 27
Area: Santa Cruz
Style: Grooves and Jams
WWW: www.groovetv.net

Estradasphere, Om Trio, Garaj Mahal, Netwerk: Electric, and Kooken and Hoomen have all been featured on Groove TV. Consisting primarily of live performances at Santa Cruz venues like the Kuumbwa Jazz Center and Moe’s Alley, Groove TV has made its first season available for download for those outside of Santa Cruz to enjoy. The program even has its own Yahoo! mailing list for fans to trade shows and discuss feel-good rhythms and hippie jams.


Show: R2Cents
When: Wednesdays, 10:30pm on San Jose/Campbell Channel 15A; Mondays, 9:30pm on Cupertino/Los Altos Channel 15
Area: South Bay
Style: Metal, Rock
WWW: www.r2cents.org

Hosted by Mike, the man with easily the greatest look in public access television history (think Dan Aykroyd meets Wayne Static turns game show host), R2Cents brings the geekiest of the geek rock and the biggest cocks in cock rock to San Jose every week. You’ll see music videos, rare live footage from all the biggest music festivals, and exclusive interviews from bands as good as Primus and as bad as Dokken.


Show: Reality Check TV
When: Saturdays, 11:30pm on Access San Francisco Channel 29; Thursdays and Fridays, 11pm, and Saturdays, 11:30pm on Berkeley Cable Channel 25; Friday, 12:30am on Concord Cable Channel 24/25, Walnut Creek Cable Channel 26 and East Bay Channel 1
Area: San Francisco, East Bay
Style: Rock, Porn
WWW: www.realitychecktv.com

And all this time you thought that strippers, porn and rock had nothing to do with each other – well, non-believers, allow Reality Check TV to prove you wrong! After ten years, 300 episodes and millions of hits on its website, RCTV has built a strong cult following through contests and its radio timeslot (KOOX 93.7, Tuesdays 10pm-12am). There’s even a crew of Reality Chicks – and if you don’t think they’re hot, think again, because, as the web site says, these lovely ladies are “the hottest girls on the Internet!”


Show: Burn My Eye!
When: R.I.P.
Area: San Francisco
Style: Rock
WWW: www.burnmyeye.com

Though now officially dead after only 12 episodes, several segments of the Burn My Eye! series will soon be available on DVD. Among many others, Burn My Eye! has featured bands like Erase Errata, Les Savy Fav, Thrones, Lo-Fi Neisans – and even an interview with The Locust, conducted by the inimitable imitator, Extreme Elvis. Keep your eyes open for the DVD – until then, you can also stream select segments on the website.