Davis Media Access

Per our agreement with the City of Davis, Davis Media Access (DMA) is required to submit several planning documents each year. By July 1, we provide the City with our budget and a work plan that outlines our organization’s major initiatives, and spells out our plans for use of the cable franchise fees under this agreement. By September 30, we also submit an annual report that details accomplishments in the previous year.

Our live coverage of the June 3rd election was a success.  Thanks to all the candidates and assorted other political types who made time to come down and be interviewed.  Thanks to Lori Aldrete and Paulina Jacobs-Sanders for their great job hosting.  And most of all thanks to our volunteer crew for hanging in well past midnight for the final results to arrive.

Robert Schultz of the City of Davis has archived our coverage in Real Media format and the final election returns are available here (thanks to Steve McMahon, DCN and the Yolo Election Office.)

Two local filmmakers have had their work chosen for screening as part of the “Current Visions” segment of the Sacramento Film Festival. Both produced their projects at Davis Media Access.

The festival and Current TV—an international cable network created by Al Gore--created a partnership to promote local filmmaking. Documentaries chosen and premiered at the Festival will be uploaded to Current.com and
will also be considered for acquisition by the network.

Deborah J. Whitman is a documentary filmmaker who operates Whitman Productions and is currently founding an environmental non-profit called Environmental Voices. Two of her documentary shorts will be featured as part of Current Visions. “Sky Lines” explores the phenomenon of “chem trails” and attempts to bring public attention to the health affects of these chemicals, while “No Life on Earth” examines the consequences of clear cutting.

Martha Teeter is a retired biochemistry/biophysics professor from Boston College who moved to Davis with her family in 2001. Her documentary, “The Wiyot Language Story” tells the story of how the Wiyot people who settled Humboldt Bay around 400 AD were nearly destroyed by massacres in 1860 during the Gold Rush. The film also explores how Teeter’s brother, Karl Teeter, reconstructed their language from the last native speaker in the 1950s for his doctoral thesis from UC Berkeley. “My brother died in April 2007,” Teeter said. “At his funeral, there was a bouquet from the Wiyot Tribal Council offering condolences. That bouquet inspired me to uncover the connections and to tell their story.

“Today, the Wiyot are recovering their language and their culture against all odds, thanks in part to my brother's work and the UC Berkeley Linguistics Department,” Teeter added. “Here at home, DMA's support in honing my skills and in providing training and equipment has been invaluable, and I am very grateful.”

All three films air as part of the Sacramento Film Festival on Saturday, April 5 at 4 p.m. at the 24th Street Theater in Sacramento. They will also air on DCTV (channel 15 on the Comcast system) at a future date. All of us at DMA congratulate Deborah and Martha on their accomplishments!

For more information, visit sacramentofilmfestivalcom or call (916) 475-9616.

Working with DJUSD Climate Coordinator Mel Lewis, DMA recently produced three episodes of “School Climate Spotlight.” Students from all three junior high schools—Emerson, Harper and Holmes—as well as Davis High School students interviewed new DJUSD Superintendent James Hammond, and DJUSD Trustees Richard Harris and Susan Lovenburg.

The programs air on DCTV, local cable channel 15 on the Comcast system, at the following times: April 6 beginning at 6 p.m.; and April 8 at 5 p.m. (Hammond) and 6:30 p.m. (Harris, then Lovenburg). Streams of the programs are available below.

Episode 1: New DJUSD Superintendent James Hammond

Episode 2: DJUSD Board Trustee Susan Lovenberg

Episode 3: DJUSD Board Trustee Richard Harris

This year we are taking a different tack with our technical education. Instead of paying for scheduled workshops we are striving to help you accomplish your individual goals in media production over a longer course of time.

Do you want to become well-versed in capturing live events or lectures? Do you want to produce your own talk-show in our studio? Do you want to have a call-in radio show? Or maybe you simply want to learn the basics of computer editing. Whatever the case might be we'll help you network with other like-minded community members to learn in a collaborative project-based environment. We've found the best way to learn is alongside those that have done it before, even if that means tagging along with us on a taping or two.

Come to a General Orientation to learn more about how to get involved, take a tour of the facility to see our equipment, and see examples of what others have done. Then fill out a New Volunteer form so we can assess what you'd like to learn, and we'll work together from there.