autumn's blog

Victims of disasters often turn to social media for updates and comfort, but what happens when Internet service is interrupted (or in poor and rural communities, where it’s inaccessible to start with)? And while those fleeing may have lost access to computers, tablets or phones, one medium that tends to stay available is terrestrial radio.

In my newspaper column published August 27th in the Davis Enterprise, I referenced the important role of local media outlets in communities when disaster strikes. Since then, two more stories have come to my attention. Over Memorial Day weekend, Wimberley, a small community located in the hill country of central Texas, was the epicenter of a record-setting flood. Homes and people were literally swept away with the floodwaters.

Each year DMA’s board & staff kick off the festive season with an open house. Please save the date and plan to drop by any time between 6 and 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7. We’ll have food and libations, equipment to play with, some volunteer recognition, and more. Bring your friends and family, and hope to see you then!

Davis Media Access (DMA) offers a free orientation to its programs and services each month. This next general orientation will take place Wed., Nov. 4 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the media center, 1623 Fifth Street in Davis. DMA Studio Manager Diane Dedoshka will teach the orientation. Topics covered will include: 

 an overview of DMA’s services; information about internships, and training and volunteer opportunities available through DMA.

Professor Jesse Drew is back at DMA with this UC Davis Techocultural Studies students, producing another quarter’s worth of Technocult Radio. Hear their stories and stylings live on KDRT Tuesdays at 11 a.m.

Seasonally dark and atmospheric, the latest episode of “Davis Media Access: From the Vault” features “Lady Madeline,” a short experimental dramatization of Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher.

Yolanda Torres, a staff member at DMA’s precursor, DCTV, produced the video in 1989. It features the acting talents of Ernest Davis, Jr., and photography by Robert Schultz and Janis Takamoto.

While our annual funding appeal happens in the spring, we accept donations year round. One particularly effective and easy way is to support KDRT through car donations. The Center for Car Donations processes donations of used vehicles (running or not) with proceeds benefiting KDRT. If you'd like more information, please visit here, and be sure to designate KDRT as the beneficiary.

Another is to make a donation of any size, at any point during the year. Your contribution is much bigger than just a donation – it’s a statement that independent outlets for community voices matter. Thank you for considering DMA among your year-end giving.

It’s mid-July, and on this particular day, the peasants pushed past the guards to commandeer my office. I’d be more alarmed, but the peasants are all short, around 10 years old, and remarkably good–natured. Welcome to the third of four summer youth camps at Davis Media Access (DMA). As far as I can tell, their collaborative production this week centers loosely on Shakespeare and carries an anti-bullying theme.

Thanks to YOU, our community of supporters, Davis Media Access (DMA) met its annual fundraising goal of $25,000 by June 30. This money provides most of the operational funds to keep KDRT 95.7 FM on the air, and also supports staff time for some of our key projects, including youth media projects and local election coverage. With a lot of non-profits doing great work locally, strong donor support is validation for all the work we do in the community, and we thank each and every one of you! See our complete donor list.

Davis Media Access is expanding its internships opportunities for the Fall quarter.  DMA's interships offer opportunities in all areas of Radio and Television production, from behind the camera to in front of the microphone.

KDRT, our low-power community radio station, is looking for some interns eager to gain experience in the following areas: Publicity and Social Media; Music Acquisitions and Curation; and Audio Production. Find out more.

For video production internships this fall. Interns get trained and develop hands-on experience in location-based video shoots.  We are also looking for interns to help with our video archive of over 10,000 locally produced programs.

Lynne Nittler, Interfaith Climate Conference Chair, writes ...

I've had time to listen to all the edited videos from March 6 & 7 and post the links in a blog on our website.  The ones of Kathleen Dean Moore and the panel are terrific.  I see why it really is so worthwhile to have professionals doing a video.  Thank you so much.  I'm hoping that many more individuals will get to hear the speakers now.  It's so heartening when non-profits reach out to help one another as they can, and in this case the tapes will allow us to extend the reach of the conference into our faith communities and beyond.  Many individuals were touched by the keynote addresses and the panel, and you have provided us with the means to carry that dialogue out into the community. Thank you for your fine work!

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 http:centerforcardonations.org, and be sure to designate KDRT as the beneficiary

KDRT is happy to lend its support Davis Music Fest's fifth year.  We'll provide underwriting announcements and help wrangle volunteers for the event.  Davis Music Fest (DMF) is coordinated by Davis non-profit Music Only Makes Sense (MOMS), which is a tremendous partner to KDRT year round  Working with MOMS is one of the many ways KDRT and DMA help support the local arts and culture community.  

This year's fest is happening the weekend of the Summer Soltice, June 19th-21st, and features over 50 bands on 12 stages.  The event benefits the Davis School Arts Foundation and the DHS Blue & White Foundation.

For more information visit the DMF website.

We are currently down to the final week of our annual fund-raising campaign. We've raised $22,000 and have $3k to go to meet our funding goal. If you haven't yet donated now is the time.  We must raise this money each year to keep our all-volunteer radio station KDRT on the air, and to help support other projects such as training for youth media producers, and additional staff time for local election coverage.

We do big, community-improving work and depend on every dollar you donate.  A well-managed non-profit with many hundreds of active participants and supporters, DMA is responsive to its community, not to corporate profits. And in an age when a mere handful of corporations holds the majority of control over corporate media, carving out space for the people’s airwaves is more important than ever.

I know you appreciate that work, and I'm asking you to step up and make a contribution this week. Donations of any size are helpful, and will be acknowledged for tax purposes, and on our donor list (unless you say otherwise). At this late date, the best way is to donate online at http://davismedia.org/donate. You can also mail a check made out to Davis Media Access, 1623 Fifth Street, Ste A, Davis, CA 95616.

You'll be joining a fabulous list of committed supporters, whom we thank for their generous support.

Thank you so much for helping to continue DMA's important work in the community!

As part of its partnership with the City of Davis and the Davis Joint Unified School District, DMA records the local high school graduations (there are five) each year, and makes available commemorative DVDs

Registration closes soon for DMA's popular summer camps for kids aged 10-13, and there are still a few slots open. In the production camps, participants learn how to produce a program in DMA's television studio, including storyboarding, operating cameras and sound equipment, and media literacy training.  New this summer, campers will be able to take advantage of DMA's brand-new HD Field Cameras. They will also get an introduction to the radio booth at KDRT 95.7 FM, DMA's low-power community radio station.