Exploring a Civic Information Hub for Yolo County

By Autumn Labbé-Renault, Executive Director, Davis Media Access

Update October 2024:  DMA has secured seed money from the City of Davis, Yolo Couty Supervisor District 2 Lucas Frerichs, and Yolo County Supervisor District 4 Jim Provenza. We will leverage that to secure the rest of the funding needed to conduct a countywide community information needs assessment. We anticipate both tasks will be carried out this fall and winter.

Also--the poject is now officially called Yolo Local.

Evolution of a community vision

By Autumn Labbé-Renault

Executive Director, Davis Media Access

This column was originally published Nov. 10, 2024 in the Davis Enterprise.

It’s been about 18 months since I began developing a vision for a project that would reframe the work of the nonprofit I lead — Davis Media Access — while working towards addressing a growing news and information gap in our community.

Davis voters elect Deos to council, approve two tax increases

Davis voters have elected Linda Deos (pictured) to the City Council, re-elected Lea Darrah to the Davis school board, and handily approved two tax measures to pay for city services and the Davis public library.

According to unofficial results available Wednesday morning on the Yolo County elections website:

• Deos won the council’s District 2 seat, the only contested council position this election, with about 52 percent of the vote. Victor Lagunes placed second with 27.3 percent, followed by Dillan Horton with 20.6 percent.

KDRT airs live, local election-night show Nov. 5, 2024

Davis Media Access (DMA) will present a live election-night program from 8-9:30 pm PST on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. The show airs on KDRT 95.7 FM and streams live at kdrt.org. Hosts Don Shor and Autumn Labbe-Renault will conduct short interviews with some of the candidates for local offices, as well some current elected officials. Due to the short length of the show and its individual interviews, hosts will not field call-ins from the public.

Voter Education media available in five languages

Davis Media Access (DMA) is pleased to be part of the Yolo Voter Education Grant, funded by the Walter & Evelyn Hass Fund and Yolo County, and administered through the Yolo Community Foundation. The purpose of the grant is to ensure that voters understand the “days and ways” to vote since all the changes enacted with the Voter Choice Act’s implementation in Yolo County two years ago.

The goal of the grant is to increase local voter understanding of how to vote. This includes changes to when (longer timeframe leading up to the election), where (fewer but centralized voting locations, mobile voting locations), and how (in person, by mail) voters may cast a ballot. The funders are particularly interested in reaching young/Latinx/Asian Pacific Island voters in precincts with historically low turnout.

DMA proposed an innovative project working with our partners in West Sacramento and Woodland. In West Sacramento, we’re partnering with community radio station KYWS to broadcast voter education messaging in five languages: English, Hmong, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish. We’re also airing these on KDRT in Davis, and we’ve made short animated videos that we’ve added to our Election November 2024 Programming. And at Woodland Community College, we’re doing direct outreach to students with bilingual English/Spanish materials. 

 

 

 

Celebrate 20 Years of KDRT on Oct. 18

Davis Media Access (DMA) and Sudwerk Brewing Company are pleased to invite our community to a 20th Anniversary Celebration of KDRT--low-power, high-octane community radio.

The party kicks off at 6 pm on Friday, Oct. 18, outdoors at the Sudwerk Dock and Hop Yard, 2001 2nd St in Davis. KDRT DJ Preacher will kick things off by spinning tunes chosen by KDRT show hosts to showcase the many sounds of KDRT.

At 7 pm, live music launches on the Hop Yard Stage with openers Max and Julian of The Big Poppies, and headliners Cowboys After Dark. Local artist groups will staff tables, and we'll hear some kind words and accolades for our beloved grassroots station, including recognition by Davis Mayor Josh Chapman. The Dock will have beverages and items from a limited menu for sale.

KDRT kicks off 20th anniversary with celebration at Sudwerk on October 18

The community is invited to KDRT's 20th anniversary celebration presented by Davis Media Access and Sudwerk Brewing Co. on Friday, October 18, from 6 pm - 9 pm.  The event takes place outdoors at the Sudwerk Dock and Hop Yard with live music by Cowboys After Dark, and opening with Max and Julian of The Big Poppies. 

Did you hear the one about the eight-year remodel?

By Autumn Labbé-Renault, Executive Director

In 2016, I convinced the board at Davis Media Access (DMA) that we needed a media lab. There was $225,000 in restricted capital funds sitting at the City. They couldn’t touch it, as it was earmarked for community media purposes. We’d never had bandwidth to consider its possible uses, until I proposed it be used to remodel the facility in order to build a media lab that could be used to further serve the community. So I pitched my idea to City Council and staff, and got the money—eight years ago. And then:

• Because the money was passed through the City, it was subject to prevailing wage, meaning that anyone who worked with DMA on this project would also be subject to significantly more paperwork and regulations

• As a result, we were declined many times over by architects unwilling to take that on for what was a relatively small commercial project. In 2018, then-board member Valerie Jones twisted the arm of Bruce Playle at Indigo Hammond+Playle Architects, and he was instrumental in moving the project forward (thank you, Bruce!)

• We then experienced a similar hiccup in hiring a contractor, but in the end signed a contract with Joe at Albertazzi Construction Inc. We were scheduled to start the remodel in April 2020, and you can guess how that went.

• The next couple of years were governed by the pandemic, and influenced by things like supply chain issues, contractor availability, and a 30 percent increase in the cost of materials. In 2022, we were able to regrade, resurface and otherwise make amendments to our parking lot as required by the City.

Gratitude to Our Supporters 2024-25

Each year, Davis Media Access (DMA) appeals to our community for support for our programs and services. Direct support helps us provide local election coverage, support youth media training and mentoring, and provide critical operating support for KDRT.

For the period beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025, we are grateful to the following supporters:

 

$5,000 & Above

Estate of Bob Werztberger - In Support of KDRT

 

$1,000 & Above

Jessica Friedman - Via a Car Donation

Eva Spiegel joins DMA's Board

Last month we welcomed Eva Spiegel to our board of directors. Eva is a strategic communications consultant with decades of experience in nonprofit, journalism, local government and small business communication. Her portfolio of work comprises a wide range of products including reporting, writing, editing, strategy, messaging, scripting, social media and press relations.

Eva began her career in the nonprofit sector working with a small organization that was funded by major national foundations to improve the quality of commercial broadcast radio with stories airing on CBS Radio’s “The Osgood File.” She transitioned to public affairs communications working largely with local government at the League of California Cities.

Eva currently works for Kearns & West, a California-based, national firm specializing in stakeholder facilitation, mediation and public engagement. A long-time Davis resident and UC Davis graduate, Eva first moved to Davis in 1979. She left for a decade after college but returned in 2001.