autumn's blog

The Davis Live Music Collective Presents Rita Hosking: Local favorite, Rita, who released a new album in late 2015 called “Frankie and the No-Go Road.” Catch her Friday, March 18, 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis, with special guests Silas Lowe and Andy Lentz. 

Fourth Annual Interfaith Climate Conference: “Climate Justice: Rising to the Challenge.” Saturday, March 5, 9:30am–3:30 pm at St. James Catholic Church in Davis.  Hear Keynote Speaker Joan Brown on Caring for Our Common Home followed by a Panel on Reflecting on Successes and Challenges in Climate Change Work with Congressman John Garamendi, Chief Caleen Sisk, and Humberto Camacho.  Choose from practical, advocacy, or reflective workshops.  

One particularly effective and easy way to support DMA is through the donation of a car or boat. CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) 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.

I’m writing on New Year’s Day 2016, and I’m excited to kick off what is sure to be an exciting and challenging year. I’m also beginning to give shape to “A Look Back at 2015,” our annual report video for the year.

In the big picture, changes in technology, continued Big Media mergers and telecom-friendly legislation make the business of being a non-commercial community-media center ever challenging. Yet those same changes render the need for local content, and hands-on digital learning opportunities, ever more critical. DMA is ready for the challenge, and poised to unroll some exciting new services this year.

Thanks to Team Davis & all who attended DMA’s Holiday Annual Open House. The Team Davis Youth sang live on KDRT and were the highlight of our evening. The place was absolutely packed, friendships were renewed and forged, and many new folks came to check out the media center. You can see Eunah Cho’s wonderful photos from the evening here.

DMA is governed by an active and committed group of volunteers. Kate Snow served on the board for the past four years, and as its chair for much of that time. Her second term ended in December and we bid her a fond farewell, as a board member. Her work with the school district, and connections to social justice and immigration work informed DMA’s work in those areas as well. We are grateful for her time and energy shared. Thank you, Kate!

DMA Shorts: Current DMA volunteers and producers are welcome to attend "DMA Shorts" on January 27 at 7pm. DMA Shorts will be a screening of DMA Producers (& friends) short-form completed work, current drafts, or other projects intended to provoke discussion. Look for a registration link on our DMA volunteer email list to guarantee a seat.

PSA Day: DMA knows how difficult it can be to get the word out about your programs and services—and on a budget, no less! Short, pithy, visual, inexpensive, and available online? We can help, via our annual PSA Day. This special production opportunity will help you make a 58-second public service announcement highlighting your organization and how it serves the community.  This year’s event takes place Feb. 10 & 11. Please see here for details and registration.  

KDRT had a great year. KDRT programmers and volunteers provided major support for the Davis Music Festival, organized benefit concerts at Sudwerk and the Davis Odd Fellows, and hosted Professor Jesse Drew and about 30 students from the Technocultural Studies Program at UC Davis every Tuesday morning during fall quarter for another round of Technocult Radio.

DMA Production Manager Jeff Shaw works with local high- school interns each quarter to produce a variety of programming. Recent interns have included Julia and Livia Morris; Aaron Kaplan; Meg Robinson; Emily Merten;  Dylan Taylor; Willian Bezzera, and Kevin Windt. Each receives hands-on production training in digital media, and gains experience in the field recording a variety of school-based productions. Our interns were busy last month recording a variety of band and symphonic productions at the middle and high schools.

One particularly effective and easy way to support DMA is through the donation of a care or boat. 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.

We acknowledge business contributions to KDRT with brief on-air messages called underwriting. Underwriting is to community radio what advertising is to commercial radio. The difference, however, is clear: Commercial stations may air as much as 18 minutes of advertising time per hour. KDRT airs less than one minute of underwriting per hour, which means our underwriters aren't lost in a sea of commercial hype. Find out more here.

It’s a party! Each year, the board and staff of Davis Media Access (DMA) throw open the doors for a festive to-do. Whatever our individual traditions this time of year, it’s great to come together and have some fun, DMA style.

This year’s open house takes place on Monday, Dec. 7, from 6-8:30 p.m. Enjoy hands-on equipment demos, a “Feedback Booth,” and as always, copious amounts of food & beverage. At 7 p.m., Team Davis’s chorus will regale us with a short set of songs. During the rest of the evening. KDRT’s DJs will spin a variety of holiday tunes.

This is our treat to you – skip dinner, bring a friend or your family, enjoy some good company, and kick off the festive season. Hope to see you there! An Evite and Facebook invitations will be launched soon. 

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.