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A few months ago, our executive director wrote about some FCC rulemaking that could seriously harm community media centers like DMA. There's an opportunity to reach out to our elected officials on this matter right now, and it takes just a couple minutes. Please join us in advocating for the important role that community media plays in our community.

Petition your congressional leaders today: https://www.petition2congress.com/ctas/stop-fcc-from-defunding-peg-channels

Curious about KDRT, DCTV or DJUSD Channel 17, and want to learn how Davis Media Access can help you? Plan to attend our next General Orientation, Wednesday, September 16th, at 7:00pm.

Potential volunteers must attend one of these, held monthly. They last about an hour and include the history of DMA, a tour of the facilities, and information on how to get involved. 

Anyone is welcome to attend an Orientation, but to use our equipment or facilities for your own productions you must live, go to school, or volunteer at an organization in Davis, CA. Davis Media Access does not charge for the use of our equipment and facilities, but attending a General Orientation is mandatory.

Because of COVID-19, this General Orientation is going to be carried out via ZOOM. Be sure to reserve spacetime on your calendar and computer, tablet or phone time. Details are mailed after registration.

DMA offers the following workshops in our Core Competencies series this month. These workshops are free to community members who have attended DMA’s General Orientation.

DCTV Television Studio Workshop – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, 3:30 - 5 pm


Required to crew for studio productions. Training for how to crew a DCTV television production. You’ll learn how to run a studio camera, be a floor manager, and run the studio audio board in the control room. You’ll also learn how to set up and tear down the studio for a production, including the proper stowing of cables, configuring lighting, setting up microphones, and flipping the On-Air switch! Class can accommodate 8 people.
Wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing! Hands-on demonstration w/ Q.& A.

Twenty years of writing about media consolidation has taught me to never take something you value for granted. Even community institutions can disappear if they are not adequately supported.

I do feel like a broken record right now, but I never shy at putting it all on the line for Davis Media Access (DMA).  As of this writing, we are two weeks away from our fiscal year end, and still $3,000 away from our fund raising goal. We usually hit this funding goal, but it’s been a struggle this year, and I’m scratching my head a bit.

Like many non-profits, Davis Media Access has varied funding streams. We have service contracts, grants, and underwriting; we offer workshops and paid production services, and we fund raise. Our annual spring funding appeal supports KDRT and our youth media programs. We offer much gratitude to all those who have generously contributed, and you can see that list here.

KDRT offers a wide range of music and pubic affairs, broadcast training, volunteer opportunities, and carefully curated syndicated shows. It takes just under $25,000 each year to pay the licenses, fees and bills that help KDRT’s all-volunteer programming staff bring you their best work. The balance of our fund raising supports a little of our staff time to mentor youth through our various programs.

I believe that KDRT builds community connections, and I also believe in my heart we’ll make our goal. But right now we need to hear from you that the work DMA does is at least as important as a cup of coffee, a lunch, a dinner…. We can’t do this without you!  Please donate today.

Summer Youth Media Workshops

Building community through media is what we do at Davis Media Access (DMA), and we make sure that starts with some of the younger members of our community. DMA has decades of experience teaching youth the basics of media production. These exciting classes teach production skills in areas such as camera and lighting, storyboarding and script development, sound, and stop-motion animation. DMA builds into all its curriculum critically needed media literacy training, and our workshops take place in the only HD studio in town. Participants get hands-on experience with quality equipment, work collaboratively, and share their work at the completion of the camp. Classes are taught by DMA staff and frequently assisted by students from past workshops.

Please note enrollment deadline of June 12, 2017. Classes do fill, and early registration is encouraged. Camps are limited to kids aged 9-13. Each camp is $175 per child.

Media Production Workshops

In the Media Production Workshop, participants learn how to produce a program in DMA's television studio, including storyboarding, operating cameras and sound equipment, and media literacy training. Students also work with HD field cameras, and get an introduction to the radio booth at KDRT (link is external) 95.7 FM, DMA's low-power community radio station. Week ends with a screening of student work & a pizza party.

Stop-Motion Animation Workshops

During Animation Workshops, participants will learn how to plan and storyboard an animation, record dialogue and effects, and light and create stop-motion animations, as well as experiment with 2D-animation and watch examples of various styles for inspiration.  Past participants have animated everything from modeling clay to snack foods!

Later this month, DMA will begin recording “Meet the Candidates” statements for contested offices affecting Davis. They’ll be edited and on line by month’s end. We also partner with local groups holding candidates’ forums, such as The Davis Vanguard’s Sept. 18 school board candidate forum at the Davis Senior Center from 6-8 p.m. Programming will air on DCTV Channel 15 on Comcast in Davis, and at Menu 99 on U-verse, and will be available at dctv.davismedia.org.

The Center for Car Donations processes donations of used vehicles (running or not) with a large portion of the proceeds benefiting KDRT. If you'd like more information, please visit here, and be sure to designate KDRT as the beneficiary.

DMA has produced "Meet the Candidates" statements for races on the ballot this Nov. 4, including Davis Board of Education, Assembly 4th District, and Congressional 3rd District. We also partnered with The Davis Vanguard on a school board candidates’ forum and with Saving California Communties on the Rainy Day Fund and Water Bond ballot initiatves.

Also on November 4th from 8-11pm we will once again have live election coverage focusing on local issues and races.

Our Meet The Candidates videos are online and will start airing on DCTV, next week.

You can find the complete list of videos (including forums) here: 
http://dctv.davismedia.org/collections/election

Live local coverage of the June 3, 2014. Hosted by Andrea Jones and Lea Rosenberg.

8-11pm, June 3, 2014 - this program is simulcast on KDRT 95.7FM. On Comcast channel 15 and AT&T U-verse channel 99.

@dmafeed on Twitter #daviselections2014

[img_assist|nid=176|title=Sep2009Newsthumb|desc=|link=url|url=http://davismedia.org/sites/davismedia.org/files/sept2009newsletter.pdf|align=center|width=199|height=256] September's newsletter has arrived. You can download the PDF through the attachment link.