17th annual Soup's On event benefits Davis Media Access - Save the Date April 21, 2022

Don Saylor’s Soup’s On event has been a community mainstay since 2004, an annual fundraiser that has generated over $350,000 in critical support for nonprofits throughout Yolo County. After a pandemic hiatus, the event returns Thursday, April 21 from 6-8 pm at the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis.

All proceeds from this year’s event benefit Davis Media Access (DMA), a nonprofit community media and technology center based in Davis, with partnerships countywide. During the pandemic, DMA reinvented a hands-on, participatory organization into one who helped organizations throughout the county surmount the challenges of virtual events and technology.

This event will be the final Soup’s On, as Saylor is retiring from public service when his term as Yolo County Supervisor for District 2 ends on December 31, 2022. “The Soup’s On benefit event was built on the simple human experience of sharing warm soup when someone is sick, feeling down or in need. Building on that loving impulse, together we have created a tradition of gathering over soup to help the helpers – nonprofits that do so much to tend the fabric of our community,” Saylor said. “Since the first Soup’s On in 2004, this event has raised over $350,000 and increased community awareness for many worthy causes in Yolo County.”

Saylor said he chose DMA as the final recipient because “DMA is a go-to partner when the Yolo community comes together to address a cause. DMA became a key resource for public health updates and local voices throughout the pandemic. They produced local election coverage on all contested races in Yolo County. They helped Woodland Community College bring its TV station and instructional media program online, and they provided support for local schools, nonprofits, and businesses across the county. As an organization, they are a perfect demonstration of the Yolo Way, proving that we are far better when we work together.”

Davis Poet Laureate featured 'In the Studio'

Tim Gaffaney hosts Davis Poet Laureate Julia B. Levine. She read two of her poems and talked about the context in which they were written. She discussed how she came to writing poetry, how she has enjoyed her role at the poet laureate and her plans for Davis, including a contest.

For more info: sites.google.com/view/juliablevine

Recorded: 1/17/22

Giving Tuesday Gratitude for the Grassroots

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021  is Giving Tuesday, and on this worldwide day of generosity we at Davis Media Access invite our community of local media advocates to show your support of our beloved grassroots radio station KDRT 95.7FM.  It operates 24/7 from the power of passionate volunteer programmers, and stays on-air due to your support at kdrt.org/donate

Congressman Garamendi presents 2021 Women of the Year awards - DMA Executive Director is one of 12 honored from Yolo County

DMA’s Executive Director Autumn Labbe-Renault was honored Nov. 9 as one of the 2021 Women of the Year for the 3rd Congressional District. Presented by Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA03, the annual awards honor women who go above and beyond serving their communities.

One of 44 women honored throughout Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties this year, Autumn was honored specifically for her media coverage that helped communities around Yolo County stay connected during the pandemic, though Garamendi also noted her longtime work on local election coverage.

ClipDart offers Day of Duty

Meet Kyle Parker, the founder and CEO of ClipDart, and a recent transplant to Davis. In a conversation with Jeff Shaw, Kyle talks about his own experience understanding the importance of a simple haircut, and the centrality of a barbershop, especially in black and brown communities. He discusses his mission to help neighbors in need who want to look their best, and the ways a haircut can contribute to mental wellness. Learn more about the Day of Duty, which will  offer barbering, free food, clothing, school supplies, and support services here in Davis. 12-6 pm Oct.

Advocating for the Arts

Davis Media Access (DMA) straddles an interesting intersection between the arts and technology, but we are generally classified as an arts and culture organization. Our Yolo County arts and culture nonprofits were deeply impacted during the pandemic, both financially and programmatically, and many of us still have our doors closed or our services deeply curtailed.

 

One of the hats I wear is chair of Arts Alliance Davis. I’m pleased to note I’ll serve as moderator for an an important Aug. 30 workshop, “Mapping the Sector: Arts & Culture Post-Pandemic.”  Co-hosted by Arts Alliance Davis, YoloArts and the Yolo Community Foundation, the virtual event will detail these impacts and explore what reopening and recovery look like.
 


 

The workshop will feature a presentation about the current needs of the arts  and culture sector, followed by a panel discussion featuring local nonprofit leaders providing context, information, and stories. Then all participants are invited into facilitated breakout groups for discussion and collaboration. Register here

         --Autumn Labbe-Renault, Executive Director

DMA celebrates international Make Music Day June 21 with Make Music Davis - DIMI Showcase video premiere

In honor of the international “Make Music Day” celebrated across the globe each June 21st on Summer Solstice, we present the “Make Music Davis-DIMI Showcase 2021” which will air on DCTV (Comcast Ch15 or AT&T U-Verse Menu 99) at the following times: Mon 6/21 10am, Noon, 6pm, 7:30pm, and Tues 6/22 at noon.

KDRT wins national award

KDRT Wins 2021 Hometown Media Award

DAVIS, California ─ KDRT 95.7 FM has received a 2021 Hometown Media Award from the Washington, DC-based Alliance for Community Media (ACM) Foundation. Station representatives will accept the award for “Overall Excellence in Community Radio” at a virtual ceremony June 30, 2021. This is an inaugural year for this award, and was awarded to three stations of different sizes.

KDRT is a project of Davis Media Access (DMA), the only nonprofit community media center in Yolo County. Founded in 1988 and based in Davis, DMA carries out its mission of providing alternatives to commercial media through partnerships across Yolo County.

The radio station—whose motto is “Where the Grassroots Grow”—launched in 2004 and has been broadcasting from the DMA facility at 1623 Fifth Street 24/7 ever since. In fact, DMA's original incarnation - Davis Community Television--was the first public access center in the nation to launch a Low-Power FM radio station.

With 34 local programmers, the station provides an eclectic mix of music and public affairs programming, with live streaming and podcasts available, and listeners around the globe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of its volunteer programmers learned how to record from home, keeping the community well connected despite distance and isolation.