autumn's blog

In my work, I am often the encourager and cajoler in the mix: please show up, participate, make your voice heard, support this work, contribute. I thank you all for taking the time to read and respond to so much of what I write. I’m about to do just a tad more wheedling, but not before sharing some good news.

I am very pleased to announce that Davis Media Access (DMA) has successfully wrapped its fundraising campaign Celebrating 25 Years of Community Media in Davis. Our must-meet goal was $20k in support of our programs and services, and as of today, we have reached: $24,100. That money keeps KDRT on the air for another year, and also helps offset some of the cost of producing intensive local election coverage and supporting youth media projects (yes, we do an astonishing amount with relatively little money).

Each year DMA conducts an annual appeal campaign to raise funds for our hallmark programs & services. We've been raising money all month, and we are getting close to our goal, but still have about $2,000 to raise by June 1. If you have not made a donation yet, we need your help!

Here’s 10 GREAT reasons to support DMA’s community-building work:

• PSA Day for local non-profits
• Extensive voter education programming for June 3 election, including community partnerships recording forums and debates
• Support for youth efforts, from local television & radio series, to recording youth projects such as Mariachi Puente
• 120 hours of locally produced radio programming every week, via KDRT 95.7 FM
• Coverage of community forums on topics ranging from water to racism. Aired on DCTV and archived at dctv.davismedia.org
• Partnerships and support for Davis Music Festival, Davis Live Music Collective, Davis Parent University, Davis Odd Fellows, Saving CA Communities, DSOMA, and many more community & school groups
• Archive & replays of weekly Davis Joint Unified School District board meetings
• Commemorative recordings of all 5 local high-school graduations
• Kids’ media production and animation camps
• Hands-on skills building in digital & broadcast media, available to all in our community

Chances are good that you’ve played a role in DMA’s growth. If you’ve appeared on a program, watched or listened to something locally created, had an event covered or promoted, attended a workshop, or had a family member benefit from our training or internships, then you’ve been part of community media in Davis.

Community media works with community support - we thank you for yours! To find out more or to contribute, please visit kdrt.org or davismedia.org, or bring a check by to 1623 Fifth Street in Davis.

To see a list of our donors to date, please click here.


Yours in community,

Autumn Labbe-Renault

Executive Director

In anticipation of this year's Fourth Annual Davis Music Festival June 20, 21 & 22, our friends at DMF are kicking things off with a fund raiser at the Sudwerk Dock Store from 4-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. It is in part, a fund raiser for our very own KDRT (thanks, guys!)

Please join us with DMF4 artists:
Bottom Dwellers / Owl Paws / The LURK w/ Million Dollar Giveaway
$5 suggested donation gets you in, and gets a raffle ticket for a chance at a free one-day pass to Bottlerock. Additional raffle tickets sold for $3. There will be specal deals on DMF tickets, chances to support KDRT, new KDRT merch, and more. See the Facebook event here or visit kdrt.org for more information.

DMA’s commitment to non-partisan, voter education programming and local election coverage is well known in these parts, and right now, election season is in full swing. With "Meet the Candidates," pro-con statements for local ballot measures, and several forums airing on DCTV Channel 15 on Comcast and available online, we’re working with other community organizations on the next set of forums, and planning for election night with returning hosts Andrea Jones and Lea Rosenberg.

This election season, DMA has been partnering with Voterprep,  a non-partisan web application that helps voters easily make  better-informed decisions. Voterprep does this by publishing candidates' viewpoints on important election issues. Nonpartisan election moderators choose the issues and review viewpoints for publication to the site.  Voterprep is an online election forum in which users can be active – they participate by making suggestions and comments and keeping notes.

DMA is happy to announce the addition of Eunah Cho to our part-time production staff.
Eunah graduated from UC San Diego with degrees in Violin Performance and Communications in 2009, and has since returned to her roots to help and learn as much as she can at Davis Media Access.  In her spare time she enjoys playing chamber music, marveling at creativity, baking treats for awesome people, and doting on her dog, Molly. 

When you learn, Teach; When you get, Give
—Maya Angelou
These words have been ringing in my head since the recent Big Day of Giving on May 6. Our region donated more than 3 million dollars to support the work of local non-profits on that day, a tremendous success for all involved, and a statement about the importance of non-profits to our collective well-being. DMA received $2,300 in donations and won the $1,500 Landing Prize for last donation of the night, thanks to KDRT Steering Committee member & social media maven, Jessica Kelly.  This money will help KDRT stay on the air and provide important local public affairs and support for local music. THANK YOU!

We are well on our way—more than halfway there—but we’re far from done!

Last year, DMA lost a longtime volunteer and good friend in Bill Smith. Bill’s family wanted to honor his wishes to help DMA, so they worked with our partner the Center for Car Donations to get a good price for Bill’s classic but not-running 1967 Chevy Malibu four-door. Here’s the note staff at the Center sent to us:

We are pleased to send you this check in the amount of $4,388.40 for a Chevrolet Malibu. The fees on this vehicle were higher than normal $150 tow and auction fee because we had it cleaned up (there were over 35 black widow spiders living in it), and we had our mechanic go thru and tune it on so that we could send it on EBay instead of sending it to a local auction.  I am sure the donor will be delighted we were able to get such a high value for her brother's car.

Lin Weaver has served as studio host intern for DMA’s "In the Studio" series for much of the past year. Lin has a full plate these days, and will not be hosting as much in the future, though she’s not leaving altogether. We thank her for the outstanding job she’s done, producing many segments.

In addition to our Election Programming Davis Media Access also helped produce and facilitate the following:

DJUSD presents “Local Control Accountability Plan” (LCAP Plan). By July 1 CA Districts are required to adopt, with community input, a three-year accountability plan. DJUSD Superintendent Winfred Roberson explains the DJUSD’s process.

Visit the DJUSD Channel 17 website where you can find a weekly schedule for this show, live airs and repeats of school board meetings, local school productions and much more.

DMA’s commitment to non-partisan, voter education programming and local election coverage is well known in these parts, and right now, election season is in full swing. With ‘Meet the Candidates,” pro-con statements for local ballot measures, and several forums airing on DCTV Channel 15 on Comcast and available online, we’re working with other community organizations on the next set of forums, and beginning to think about what shape our election-night program will take.
 

This year looks to be one of our most fun yet!  If you are interested in enrolling in one of our Animation Camps for summer 2014, don't delay too long!  Our Video Production camps are full.  More info about the camps can be found here:

• 
Kids Video Animation Camp One   July 7 - 11:  1-4pm

• Kids Video Animation Camp Two   July 14 - 18: 1-4pm

On the heels of Jeff Hudson’s excellent article about KDRT 95.7 FM’s upcoming 10th anniversary this fall, it seems fitting to place KDRT squarely at the center of this year’s fund raising campaign.

Our annual donations already support KDRT, a non-commercial, community-based radio station. Although KDRT is a largely volunteer-run project within the media center, it does have hard costs: the lights to keep on, licensing fees to pay, equipment to upkeep, and its share of insurance, staffing, etc.

It’s been 25 years since community leaders worked to launch what was originally Davis Community Television as a public-access cable channel. What started as a promise of equal access to media tools for all has grown into a full-service community media center.

Much has changed in 25 years. The political climate doesn’t favor non-commercial, community-based media, and many centers similar to DMA have closed across the country. DMA has worked diligently to be of service and make a difference locally, garnering widespread community support. Leveraging a small staff with a large complement of interns and other volunteers, it’s DMA who heeds the call to cover a candidates’ forum, a school orchestral performance or basketball game, or a community event.