A Note From the Director

We’re celebrating 30 years!

It’s a Tuesday as I write. Studio Manager Diane Dedoshka and I are finalizing a schedule for a record number of “Meet the Candidates” productions. DCTV intern Daisy Lee has a crowd in here tonight for her game show pilot, and Production Manager Jeff Shaw is meeting with KDRT’s public affairs programmers. This is the day-to-day reality of life in a community media & technology center: busy, full, vibrant, and innovative.

In 1988, a group of forward-thinking people in this city decided to form an organization that would provide multiple layers of community benefit—a non-profit that helps other non-profits, schools, local government, and ordinary citizens share information, build skills, and foster transparency. In 2018, that non-profit is known as Davis Media Access (DMA), and we’re excited to be celebrating 30 years of service to our community.

I believe we’ve lived that original mission, and built upon it considerably over time. I still get excited about the work we do! A couple of things are really juicing me right now, and I hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about our 30-year Video Quilt, summer youth workshops, and digital storytelling.

DMA Board Comings & Goings

We bid longtime board member Henry House a fond farewell this month, and thank him for his service. Henry bought a new home near Grass Valley and is in Davis less frequently these days.



We also welcome Bill Wagman to a two-year term on the board. Bill says, "I have been involved in radio production for many years. I have hosted programs on KDVS since 1991 including 'The Saturday Morning Folk Show' for the last 17 years, and have been a co-host of the 'Folk Brothers' on KDRT for the last 2 1/2 years. I've long had an interest in community media as it extends to community radio. It is so much more important and relative than commercial, mainstream media, which seems to be more interested in reaching the largest, most lucrative market possible.

In Remembrance

Community media centers by definition involve many members of the community, and DMA is a place where friendships are forged. We've lost a few good folks these past couple of months, and would like to remember them as follows:

  • Longtime community TV volunteer David Pierce, who passed away in January. David was a fixture around here in the late 90s and early aughts. We remember David for his innate curiosity and his love of dramatic contrast, and his willingness to volunteer.  A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 24 at the Shaded Arbor Picnic Area in Davis Community Park.
  • We also remember Marcella Lorfing, wife of OLLI producer Bill Lorfing, and a longtime supporter of DMA. Marcella passed in December.
  • Finally, we remember with fondness Corinne Cooke, a longtime supporter of DMA, who once told me that librarians and community media had much in common, and it's a message I integrated deeply. I will miss my spirited discussions with her.

--Autumn Labbé-Renault

Two Departures, a Sabbatical, and a Wild Fox

One of our longest weekly KDRT Programmers is taking a four-month sabbatical. Live Tracks' Jim Buchanan will still assist with station operations and record live music around town, but will take a well-deserved break from his two-hour weekly show. Listeners are invited to tune in Thursdays at 7 p.m. to hear Sara TAPS broadcast The Awesome Patrol Show in his place. Sara is herself a longtime volunteer and programmer. We hope to see "Live Tracks" back in business by the summer.

Core Competencies Workshops

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

Final Cut Pro X: Titles, Credits & Motion Graphics – Wed., Feb. 7 2018, 7-8:30 p.m.

Covers the basics of putting titles and credits on your production. Topics include titles and motion graphics, typography, color, and lower-thirds. Lecture w/ overheads and Q&A.

DCTV Website: Reservations & Resources Training – Tuesday, Feb. 20 2018, 6:45 - 8:00 p.m.


Required to participate as a volunteer producer at DMA. Training for how to use DCTV's website to make reservations, create show records, add episodes, and otherwise manage your production(s) at Davis Media Access. A review of available equipment and the requirements for checkout or use will also be included. Moving forward, this workshop and the skills learned in it will be required to make use of DCTV's facilities. Bringing your own laptop to follow along is suggested, but not required. Class can accommodate 20 people Lecture w/ hands-on and Q.& A

DCTV Television Studio Workshop – Wednesday, Feb. 21, 3:30 - 5 p.m
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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.

Canon XZ-25 Orientation & Camera Basics: Lighting (Double Workshop) -Wed., Feb. 21, 2017 - 6:45 - 7:45 pm & 8 - 9 p.m.

Register for either one or both hours. Learn the basics of operating and configuring the Canon XA-25, DMA’s workhorse HD camera. We’ll cover the automatic and basic manual configuration, as well as various audio options. Hands-on demonstration with Q & A.

The second workshop covers lighting for your video projects. Learn the basics of proper exposure for a well-lit iage and how you can adjust the exposure for various effects. This workshop will help the filmmaker, documentarian, and photographer understand the ways in which lighting can help communicate with the viewer. Lecture w/ hands-on and Q.& A.

DMA receives City Arts Grant

DMA is pleased to announce it has received one of the City of Davis Community Arts Grant awards for 2018. This annual funding is awarded through the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs program, and has received a substantial boost in the past few years through expanded support from City leadership. The program provides funds for a wide variety of community-based arts programs and projects that foster excellence, diversity, and vitality in the arts, and this year is no exception.

DMA’s project, “Connecting Community Through Personal Storytelling,” will take place April 14 & 15, with a public workshop and screening on April 25. All events take place at the Mary L. Stephens Library in Davis, and we thank the Yolo County Library for its partnership. We’ll have more info and an invitation to participate soon, but for now, we’d like to thank the City for its wholehearted support of arts and culture.

A Note from the Director

I write frequently about the state of national media, here and elsewhere. And with each passing month, the news seems to get worse. From corporate favoritism and the death of Net Neutrality under the “watch” of the Federal Communications Commission, to the reorganization and downgrading of newsrooms at major dailies across California, to additional layoffs at our own community newspaper, the news about those who report it, is dire.

The Fourth Estate in this country used to be venerable, a watchdog against corruption. As CALMatters Editor David Lesher recently wrote, “Media is declining nationally, but unique pressures have made California into America’s laboratory for a dangerous experiment about what happens to the public interest when policy is made without the public’s awareness or accountability.”

This leaves non-profit community media centers such as Davis Media Access (DMA) facing new challenges. For years, our mission was to facilitate the production and distribution of content created by community members. Over the decades (DMA will celebrate 30 years of operation this October), that mission shifted to include more local content creation.

Workshops for November

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.