| Page 8 | Davis Media Access

A Note from the Director

Recently, KDRT DJ Eddy Owt and DMA Studio & Facilities Coordinator Ray Orosco teamed up to record touring band Black Viiolet in the newly relaunching Davis Media Access (DMA) TV studio. By all accounts it was a worthwhile endeavor and fun, although not everything went as expected.

Sharing in these conversations, I found myself repeating something that’s been a mantra for many years: DMA is not a production house, but a community-based learning lab. We learn by doing, and we help others learn by doing as well. We’re lean on resources but rich in ingenuity and enthusiasm.

So yes, moving from an analog to a digital mixer is a learning curve, and good audio is as vital to a video production as the video itself. I trust Ray and Eddy (and others) will practice more and figure this out–and then help others along the way.

I’m excited to see–at long last–our TV studio coming back online following a long pandemic and an even longer remodel process. Back in the day, we supported public access and the desires of individuals to get trained in TV production. Countless changes in both media use and media technology later, and the call for individual use is scant. Instead, we focus on community-benefit projects such as local election coverage, arts and culture performances, and nonprofit partnerships.

There will come a moment when we once again offer PSA Day and some open studio time, but maybe let us get that new switcher dialed in first…

Further thoughts on Yolo County

On a call recently with a nonprofit executive director who is new to the area, she said “Yolo County is very intimate - everyone seems to be connected to everyone else.” I think that’s true, and also not true.

As I’ve been navigating the county and developing new partnerships through our Yolo Local project, I keep returning to the almost wholly unmet information needs for the Spanish-speaking population. As our ecosystem assessment highlighted, that’s one-fifth of our total population. This week my collaborator jesikah maria ross and I applied for a grant that would allow Yolo Local to connect more deeply with folks who need civic information in their own language. Although it’s a daunting time to be doing such work, we are pressing forward on that front.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to be in cahoots with our friends at PBS KVIE/Abridged for the launch of their weekly Yolo County newsletter, which will lean into Yolo Local’s assessment findings to inform editorial. They’re a great group of folks and I’m looking forward to digging in. A reminder that you can sign up for the weekly newsletter, which drops Wednesday afternoons, here.

In community,

Autumn Labbé-Renault

Executive Director

27th Annual City of Davis MLK Celebration is Virtual on Monday, Jan. 18th at 9 a.m.

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The City of Davis will honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a virtual celebration including highlights of speakers and entertainment from past years recorded and archived by Davis Media Access. It also contains current messages from local youth, as well as an introduction from Mayor Gloria Partida. It first airs at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, via the City of Davis website at www.cityofdavis.org where it will be available through the end of the month.

Thank you to our 2020-2021 Supporters

During this time of COVID-19, DMA is proud to say we grew community during a time of separation. This is work we share with you, and we want you to know your support matters. Donations—whether by individuals, events, local businesses, or donor-advised foundations—keep KDRT on the air, and help support DMA's work on local elections and youth media services. This list includes donors from July 1, 2020 to now. We thank you!

$1,000 & Above

Craig & Darien Blomberg

Jessica Kelly Includes a volunteer match by Cisco

Alison Kent & Allan Hollander Via Car Donation

Richard Krogsrud and Rebecca Ryland Via Car Donation

Anthony Roy Via Car Donation

Sunny Shine

$500-$999

Clyde Bowman

Shelley Bronzan In Honor of Matthew Bronzan (includes car donation)

Nancy Flagg

Marie Graham In Honor of "Praise Time with Preacher"

Don and Julie Saylor

Sharmila Shinde Via a Car Donation

DMA During COVID-19

Since closing the facility on March 13, we’ve navigated a broad range of operational/technical/programmatic and administrative challenges during quarantine. We’ve helped some of our radio and TV volunteers as they’ve navigated producing from home--and commiserated with those who couldn’t. And we’ve adapted on other levels, working to fill budget gaps that are a byproduct of this time, while striving to respond to community requests for help with events that are now virtual. In short, though the building has been closed, the organization has not!

Through it all, we’ve kept abreast of the ever-changing laws and public health orders. In particular, we are following the guidelines for reopening developed by the John Hopkins Center for Public Health and Yolo County Public Health. Our policy and timeline has been developed by staff, and was vetted and approved by the DMA board at its June meeting.

Connecting to What Matters

If this is your first visit to our website, welcome, and thanks for visiting.

Davis Media Access (DMA) is a non-profit community media & technology center currently celebrating its 31st year of serving Davis and environs. Elsewhere on this website you can read about what we do; the purpose of my message here is underscore why we do it. DMA’s community-centered work connects us to what matters: newsmakers, schools, families, youth, teachers, local elections, policy makers, community activists, neighborhoods, social justice activists, other non-profits, businesses, libraries, veterans, senior citizens, musicians, artists, and more.

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KDRT Highlights

Jazz After Dark June 16 2026

Jazz classics tonight. We'll hear from Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgerald & Eddie Heywood and His Orchestra, Helen Forrest, Chet Baker, Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson & Ben Webster, The Ray Bryant Trio, Paul Gonsalves & Ray Nance, Paul Gonsalves with Earl Hines, Paul Desmond, Shirley Horn, and Jim Hall.

KDRT Live Broadcast – Davis Music Fest 2026!

Davis Music Festival is almost here! KDRT broadcasts live from Sudwerk's Hopyard stage on opening night – Friday, June 19 – starting at 4 p.m. Pacific, featuring performances by Wet Wreckless, Megan Slankard, and Marty O'Reilly. We're also live from Armadillo Music on Saturday at 3 p.m. with music by Anna May, Beti Masenqo, Maita, and Mission Delirium. Come on out, say hi to KDRT friends and fans, snag some DiRTy swag, and discover your new favorite band! Unable/out of town?

Davisville, June 15, 2026: House prices are rising, and it’s a good year for renters in Davis

2026 is a pretty good year for renters in Davis. The city’s vacancy rate has continued to grow, to around 10 percent, says real estate professional Kit Boschken on today’s Davisville. Rents are down from last year. Parts of the market are shifting, she adds— students are less interested in sharing a large house as a place to live, and students coming out of campus housing want leases that start in July or mid-June, instead of the Davis standard of Sept. 1.

“Next year we may be lowering rents a little bit again,” she says during today’s program. “I think we’re equaling out and trying to figure out where rents fall in this town, with the university having built a lot, and now [it] has housing for freshmen and sophomores. That really affects the Davis community too.”

As for single-family houses, prices are up about 4 percent from last year and the median price has hit about $915,000, says Steve Boschken. “Over a third of our properties in Davis are selling for a million or more, which obviously makes it very challenging for younger families, younger people, to get into a home,” he says. About 40 homes in Davis are below $700,000.

Steve and Kit Boschken are real estate brokers with many years of experience in Davis. I invite them onto Davisville about once a year, and today we talk about what they see in the Davis housing market as of summer 2026.

The Electric Compost Heap -- June 12, 2026

Tonight at 6 p.m. Pacific on The Electric Compost Heap, we'll spin a few tunes by artists appearing at this year's Davis Music Festival, happening in exactly one week! We'll also spin new tunes from the Bug Club, Cootie Catcher, and the Gnomes, and we'll remember James Blood Ulmer (pictured), who merged with the infinite last week at the age of 86. Hope you can join us at KDRT 95.7fm + KDRT.org!

Rehab your Monday with DJ Jojo Johanssen from 1-3 p.m, June 15

It's that time again! DJ Jojo takes a break from moving to offer you up two hours of rehabilitating tasty tracks bookended by The Herbaliser! Nestled in between those sensi buns will be some grooves from Nancy Wilson (be sure to tune in to see which Nancy Wilson), Freefall, Parcels (a listener's suggestion!), as well as a pretty fun mini bongo inspired section featuring a Nuyorican Soul remix. Beat the heat with some cool tunes! Coming to you live this Monday, June 15 from 1-3 p.m. Pacific time. No time to listen live? No biggie!

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