Yolo Local, Abridged announce partnership



Community media center and public media organization forge innovative partnership

I am thrilled to share the news of Davis Media Access’s groundbreaking partnership with KVIE-–our region’s Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) station.

Last September, KVIE launched Abridged, a daily local newsletter for the Sacramento area. Now they are teaming up with DMA’s Yolo Local initiative to launch a weekly newsletter for Yolo County.  You can sign up for it here!

When I stepped into the role of executive director at Davis Media Access (DMA) almost 20 years ago, it was with a clear vision there was a different path for our organization, one based on centering our work through community partnerships versus focusing solely on bringing people to our facility.

I saw the media center as a hub, with its work carried out through various projects, and with support from many, I’ve driven the organization in pursuit of that goal, resulting in partnerships with the City of Davis; Davis Joint Unified School District; Woodland Community College; local musicians and businesses; elected officials, and nonprofits around the county.

Yolo Local was the next unfolding of this vision, rooted in a belief that DMA has a role to play in addressing the decline of local news and information that meets community needs.

This new collaboration between a community media center and a public media organization is not only extremely rare, it’s proof of both rising to meet the moment, and the need. Bringing the learnings from Yolo Local’s community-engaged needs assessment together with Abridged’s editorial framework, this partnership will serve residents with listening sessions, events and a weekly newsletter dedicated to Yolo County. Importantly, it will be free to access and driven by community input. Read the full story.

We want to get this newsletter to as many Yolo County residents as possible. Can you help? Please sign up for the Abridged Yolo County newsletter, and help spread the news through your own networks. I’m delighted to share that jesikah maria ross, who has served as Yolo Local’s advisor from the start, is on board for the start of this phase.

DMA/Yolo Local faces many challenges, including finding funding to grow this work and our capacity. But in a world where big media is failing to provide information that contributes to the health of our communities, and media at all levels is under duress, we’ve come together with KVIE/Abridged as partners committed in service to Yolo County.


Autumn Labbé-Renault

Executive Director, Davis Media Access

Comcast changes City Channel 16 to Channel 21

If you've tuned into the City of Davis's Government Channel 16 on the Comcast system in Davis to find religious programming and you're a bit confused--you're not alone!

Conversations with Comcast staff indicate this was a planned move, though it came as a surprise to those in Davis. To date, public access Channel 15 and educational access Channel 17 are unaffected. 

Although DMA does not manage the government channel we do have a partnership with the City to record the civic meetings aired on it.

To sum up, you can find City meetings now on Comcast 21. Learn more about city meetings

Remembering Bill Wagman

Armadillo Music and KDRT invite our friends to a special gathering in memory of Bill Wagman, long-time host of "Sometimes Folk" and "The Folk Brothers" on KDRT, as well as "The Saturday Morning Folk Show" on KDVS. If you knew Bill or were a fan of his radio programs and house concerts, please join us in honoring Bill on Monday, Feb. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Armadillo at 207 F St. in downtown Davis.

Giving Tuesday is Dec. 2

Giving Tuesday is an annual global day of online giving specifically designed to support the nonprofit sector.  It follows Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, Artists' Sunday, and Cyber Monday, and takes place each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. 

A donation on Giving Tuesday helps support the community-focused work Davis Media Access (DMA) and its projects carry out year round. Whether that's streaming and archiving public meetings; documenting high-school performing arts; curating amazing community radio, or working to develop a new and equitable source of civic information in Yolo County, the work of DMA amplifies much of the rest of the nonprofit sector as well. 

Thank you for your generosity! You can donate here.

Davis Media Access Releases ‘Yolo County News & Information Ecosystem Report’

Please note: you can download a copy of the report via a link at the end of this article.

Yolo Local maps sector, outlines challenges and opportunities

Sept. 29, 2025—Davis Media Access (DMA) announces the release of its “Yolo County News & Information Ecosystem” report, which presents ideas for addressing the reduced availability of local information and news in Yolo County.  

The 70-page report follows months of research, conversations and contact with people throughout Yolo County to understand how the decline of traditional local media outlets affects both information providers and Yolo residents. DMA calls its effort to address this decline Yolo Local.

DMA worked with Impact Architects, nationally known consultants; jesikah maria ross of Davis, a community-engaged journalist, and the 11-member Yolo Local Working Group. The community engagement, which primarily ran from April to August 2025, included a bilingual survey, direct engagement at events, one-to-one interviews, and roundtable discussions. 

The report is rooted in Impact Architects’ framework and methodology for large-scale ecosystem reports, and includes key comparative data about Yolo County, such as race and ethnicity, income, and civic wellness data. It describes the community engagement approach and strategies that Yolo Local used, and includes a list of organizations and individuals involved.


Key findings in the report include: 

● The need for expanded Spanish-language and bilingual media: While 36 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino/a and nearly 20 percent speak Spanish at home, no news sources are specifically dedicated to serving Hispanic and Latino/a communities in the county


● The need for a backbone institution for the news and information sector: News outlets expressed interest in coordinating with other outlets, but lack a structure to do so. A backbone could act as an “assignment editor,” manage shared resources, and foster collaboration across platforms


● The call to cover critical topics, inclusively: Residents want deeper reporting on local governance, agriculture (including farmworkers’ voices), education, and perspectives and experiences of immigrants and people of color, which are often missing or misrepresented

●  An opportunity exists to create a central resource hub to connect local residents with community, government and nonprofit resources and services. Models in other U.S. cities show that news outlets can connect communities to vital resources

KDRT turns 21 ! Join us in celebrating the coming of age of our grassroots community station

WHAT:  KDRT 21st birthday bash with live music by The Cantaliers (Latin, Surf, Rockabilly) and live broadcast

WHEN:  Friday, October 3, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE:  Sudwerk Brewing Co. Dock Store and Hop Yard,  2001 2nd Street, Davis, CA 95618

WHY:  Celebrating 21 years of community-powered grassroots radio in Davis, CA!

The community is invited to this free, all-ages, outdoor event hosted by Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis Media Access staff/board, and KDRT volunteers.

Food and beverages will be available at the Sudwerk Dock Store, upbeat live Surf, Rockabilly and Latin music will be provided by Sacramento's The Cantaliers, River City Marketplace vendors will be on-hand for local wares, and our hospitality and outreach tables will be staffed by friendly DJ volunteers.  During a time when LOCAL media is especially important, we look forward to gathering with our listeners and supporters.