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News from DMA

Contents

  • A note from the Executive Director
  • More on phones - consumer rights: what are the issues?
  • Yolo 2-1-1
  • Registration open for summer kids' camps
  • Shout-outs & love
  • Opportunities
  • Program notes
  • Community events & fundraisers
  • Thank you to our underwriters
  • DMA needs your support

A note from the Executive Director

I’m rather amazed at the amount of my attention the once-humble phone has been occupying lately. I generally don’t think about my phones—a smart Android and a basic landline—too often. I take for granted both their functional presence in my life, and my ability to understand and navigate the information surrounding them. 

But really, what luxury. What if English wasn’t my first language? And what if I lacked high-speed broadband access, or didn’t understand how to navigate the Internet? These things I take for granted are huge and consuming problems for many people in California.

DMA is currently working on a grant from the California Consumer Protection Foundation to educate about these types of issues. I’ve learned a great deal about the plethora of problems consumers face with regard to fair treatment from phone providers. In particular, ethnically diverse low–income communities depend upon and need high-quality phone service at affordable prices to stay connected to family, friends, business, health care and emergency services. And yet, the system is set up to deny them such, or at least make it as difficult as possible to attain.

Read on for a glimpse of how DMA is sharing information about this problem, as well as how the Yolo County Library is using the phone as a major resource via the launch of its 2-1-1 referral line. And please be sure to scan the items below for lots of other news and information from your community media center.

--Autumn Labbe-Renault, Executive Director

More on phones: consumer rights: what are the issues?

In a crazy world of big corporations and confusing practices, who looks out for the consumer? When it comes to your phone and utility bills, how do understand what you’re being charged, and get information about important money-saving programs? Here in our community, who can help you understand the issues, and how to be your own advocate?

Davis Media Access can! We’re currently scheduling outreach sessions around these issues, which we’re addressing via a Telecommunication Consumer Education Fund grant from the California Consumer Protection fund. Email us at consumerrights@davismedia.org for more information.

Yolo County Launches 2-1-1

The Department of Employment and Social Services and Yolo County Library-Central Services recently launched 2-1-1 Yolo. 2-1-1 Yolo is a telephone information and referral line where residents can find services to provide help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling and more. Any Yolo County resident can pick up a phone and dial 2-1-1 for free.  

This resource line is completely confidential and multilingual. Anyone can access 2-1-1 resources by phone or online at www.211yolo.org. The website features local, state and national organizations that can provide help for those in need. The database is updated continually and is specific to resources for Yolo county residents. The service replaces the former YOLO-Link.

Registration open for summer kids' camps

DMA announces open registration for its popular summer 'KidsVid' Video Camp and Kids Animation Camp. DMA will offer two KidsVid camp sessions this summer, as well two sessions of Animation Camp.

KidsVid Video Camp is a one-week session in media production for youth ages 10-13. Participants will learn how to produce a program in DMA's television studio, including storyboarding, operating cameras and sound equipment, and media literacy training. They will also get an introduction to the radio booth at KDRT 95.7 FM, DMA's low-power community radio station. Each class is limited to 8 participants.  (Session 1 is full).

During Animation Camp, participants will learn how to plan and storyboard an animation, record dialogue and effects, and light and create stop-motion animations, as well as experiment with 2D animation and watch examples of various styles for inspiration. Each class is limited to 6 participants.

Session dates and registration info available here.

Shout-outs and love

  • Thank you to Craig Blomberg, a member of the volunteer KDRT Steering Committee. Craig spends his Saturday mornings here updating logs, entering events and organizing public service announcements. Truly one of the unsung heroes of the little-radio-station-that-could.
  • Thank you to DMA board members Paul Sheeran and Patty Clark for stepping up to board leadership as Vice Chair and Secretary, respectively. Paul hosts “Dr. Paul’s Classical Music” on KDRT and Patty is chairing this year’s Annual Campaign for DMA.

Opportunities

Internship – DMA offers an unpaid internship in studio hosting. Learn how to host and produce shows in DMA’s HD-studio. Info here

Contest - The Hometown Media Awards honor and promote community media and local cable programs that are distributed on community access television channels. Awards are presented to creative programs that address community needs, develop diverse community involvement, challenge conventional commercial television formats, and move viewers to experience television in a different way. The Hometown Media Awards is local cable’s largest video awards competition. Winners of the Hometown Media Awards will be recognized during the Alliance for Community Media 2012 Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. July 31-August 2, 2012.  Deadline is April 2, more info.here

Program Notes

  • Election planning underway – For June DMA will cover Davis City Council races; Yolo Supervisorial District 5th District; and Yolo Superior Court Judge (contested race). In the fall we’ll schedule “Meet the Candidates” statements for Assembly, Senate and Congress. We will also air and archive forums produced by the League of Women Voters and other community groups, as resources allow. Questions to autumn@davismedia.org
  • TV studio shows gaining steam  - DMA continues its work on “In the Studio.” The program provides local newsmakers and community organizations with easy ways to promote their activities and events. DMA producers four segments of ITS each month, using the recording sessions as a hands-on learning lab for local residents interested in media production. ITS airs Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. on DCTV, Comcast Channel 15, and on demand at Menu 99 on AT&T's U-verse. Episode schedule available & archived at dctv.davismedia.org. Recent episodes include #204 - Jug Band Music; #205 - Davis Bike Coordinator; #206 - Peregrine School; #207 - Yolo Visions;  #208 - Egyptian Uprising Update; #209 - Composting in Davis. To suggest a program topic, volunteer to host or inquire about crewing, email info@davismedia.org.
  • “What’s Going On?” Davis resident Jon Li is back with his studio series, “What's Going On?” This is a volunteer-produced series, and Li has done what anyone in Davis can do: assembled a crew, received training and plugged in his own, unique content. Li writes: “Aren't there a lot of interesting, unique people in Davis?  People with a particular set of experiences that gives them a special view of how the world works and our place in it.” The show shoots live at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Guests to date have included Davis City Council member Dan Wolk; Egyptian witness to the Arab Spring Noha Radwan; Sacramento advocate Lenny Goldberg; Assembly candidate John Munn; and Davis City Council Candidate Lucas Frerichs. For more information, call Li at (530) 753-0352.
  • Nexus Stage is back on Saturdays, recording and highlighting a wide variety of local bands. For info about the show, email Cliff Gamble at cliff.gamble@gmail.com.
  • KDRT boasts many new shows – Beth Post hosts "Mele O Hawaii" in its new timeslot from 10-11 a.m. on Thursdays…Aaron Long started "Empire Radio," a discussion show about movies and movie soundtracks, Wednesdays 5-6 p.m....Michelle Woods takes a look at literary topics on "Club Hygge," Thursdays from 5:30-6 p.m...Not as new, but gaining speed and lots of listeners, check out "The Helping Phriendly Hour," Thursdays from 6-7 p.m. for live Phish, with host Rhada Lewis.
  • Now airing on DJUSD Channel 17 and djusd.tv: recent school board meetings; winter concerts from our schools; Digital Arts Partnership youth film screenings; facilitator trainings for Spanish teachers; programming in Russian and French; and DHS women's basketball.

Community Events & Fund Raisers

  • Save the Date! “On the Backlot” - returns Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. This annual event is a fundraiser for DMA and features multiple local bands doing their thing in support of local media. Fun for all! Questions or band booking, autumn@davismedia.org.
  • YERT Screening at DMA, April 24 7 p.m. – DMA is an active participant in the Cool Davis Initiative. Cool Davis recently screened a wonderful film called YERT – Yearlong Environmental Road Trip. We have a copy and will offer a community screening April 24. Space is limited to about 40 people and is first-come, first-served. Free, but donations gladly accepted. Information about the CoolCalifornia Challenge and how Davis residents can participate will be available. info@davismedia.org
  • Titanic event benefits DMA, DMTC - With the 100th anniversary of the RMS Titanic’s launch and sinking, Davis resident Joan Randall will again share the third-class passenger story of her family’s loss and post-survival experience. Randall plans a presentation on Wed., April 25, 6:30 p.m. at Davis Musical Theatre Company’s (DMTC) Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive, Davis. DMTC will present Titanic during this April centennial, making room on the set stage for Randall’s presentation. Her multi-media presentation will draw on selected family archival material as they are duplicated into electronic format. A core piece is the video DMA (then Davis Community Television) did of her mother’s presentation at the Davis Senior Center 22 years ago. The performance falls just after her return from a Titanic Memorial Cruise. She will also return with a copy of the recently discovered letter written by grandfather Anton Kink just a month after the sinking – the most complete story to be told by a Kink family survivor. The event benefits DMTC and DMA. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 children: www.dmtc.org or 530-756-3682.
  • Village Holmes Performers Circle – Monday, March 26. Crowd favorite at last year’s On the Backlot Celebration, Belle Francisco performs at this event, which begins at 7:15 p.m. Belle takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. Village Homes Community Center, 2661 Portage Bay East, Davis.
  • N Street Music Benefit for Haitian Children - Toby Seeger and the community at N Street Cohousing have created a fabulous space for good-sized house concerts. Coming up March 31, N Street Music will host a benefit concert for the children of Haiti. This house concert features a live band set, DJ set, silent auction and Haitian art sale.  The show features rising Caribbean star Rosemond Jolissaint aka T-Rosemond and his live band Ital Souls. The evening will feature Davis native Joe Wisgirda “Joe Daddy”, a diversely talented producer and sound engineer and DJ Wokstar from Sacramento dubbed “the alchemist of reggae dancehall.” You can get more info about the event http://kdrt.org/node/8896, including websites for the artists and Zanmi Lakay, a grass-roots group dedicated to improving quality of life for current and former street children in Haiti and the beneficiary of the concert.

Thank you to our Underwriters on KDRT!

Thank you to our newest underwriters, Davis Food Co-op and Yolo Federal Credit Union, who join:

  • 3rd Street Jeweler
  • Casa Verde Designs
  • Davisville Express Lube
  • De Luna Jewelers
  • John Lescroart
  • Redwood Barn Nursery
  • Sutter Center for Integrative Holistic Health
  • The Pepper Peddler
  • The Davis Dirt
  • The Varsity Theater
  • University Retirement Community

We acknowledge business contributions to the radio station 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. KDRT listeners make a deliberate choice to tune in because our unique programming is local and fun. Our listeners appreciate businesses that support the kind of radio they like to listen to. Info/questions, Doug Kelly, dgkelly@comcast.net

DMA Needs Your Support

Car/Boat Donations Benefit KDRT - 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 here, and be sure to designate KDRT as the beneficiary.

You Make the Difference- Donate to Davis Media Access - DMA is getting ready to launch its annual fundraising appeal. It’s DMA’s mission to provide technology, access, training and support to encompass this broad range of voices and perspectives. As this newsletter highlights, we get a lot done with rather limited resources. Community support is essential if we are to keep doing so. Please consider a donation to DMA. Thank you!

Davis Community Television, dba Davis Media Access, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Please consult your tax adviser for details.

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