News from DMA - June 27, 2012

News from Davis Media Access

Contents

• Valuing an idea, lest it disappear
• From the Mailbag
• Cool Davis 2012 - Workshop on Community Choice Energy
• Shout outs & love
• Car/boat donations benefit KDRT

Valuing an idea, lest it disappear

"KDRT doesn't happen without community support. It can't. It's that simple."

 I'm mentoring a public relations intern this summer. Dan Dedoshka is a University of Oregon student who has committed his time to learning whatever I can teach him about writing press releases, branding, social media engagement, and more. While thumbing through one of his textbooks on PR yesterday, I commented that most of what he's being taught in school is likely geared at promoting products, versus ideas, and that sometimes in the non-profit world, what we're "selling" is just that--an idea, a philosophy, a credo, if you will.

It's now 4 a.m. on June 27 and I find myself mulling over those words in context of this year's funding appeal for Davis Media Access. The appeal ends with our fiscal year on June 30, and we are more than $7,000 short of our goal. (Before I go any further with this train of thought, I would like to thank our many generous supporters this year. I'll be publishing a full list as soon as the campaign wraps.)

What I'm being asked, as well as asking myself,  is: "what does that mean?"

DMA doesn't have a long history of fund raising. We've been doing this just a few short years and have generally come close to or exceeded our fund raising goal of $20,000. The money we raise largely supports the operations of KDRT, the low-power radio station DMA runs. It helps with a few other things as well, but it basically pays for licensing fees and operations costs necessary to keep this largely volunteer-driven effort on the air. It's money we can't use from encumbered funding streams, and so we reach out to the community.

In the near term, it means that DMA has to scramble to find that money elsewhere. That probably means another year of doing without certain things--administrative support, making building repairs, attending conferences. But none of this is sustainable for the long haul. These are issues DMA's board and staff will struggle with in the coming months.

Beyond that, I'm reminded of that old saw, "you never know what you have until it's gone." At the Davis Music Festival last weekend, and at other recent outreach gigs, the crowd noise in support of KDRT was deafening. But when asked to donate, I heard a lot of "I love your station, but I just can't." Times are tough, and I do understand "can't."

But, back to my PR lesson: KDRT is more than "just" an idea. It's local music and public affairs programming, blended with an eclectic assortment of sydicated shows, airing love 24/7 to Davis and around the world via kdrt.org. It's support for community members, events, musicians and non-profits. Most importantly, it's one of the last bastions of free speech and independent media in a sea of commercial offerings. And, KDRT doesn't happen without community support. It can't. It's that simple.

Many of KDRT's porgrammers and volunteers will be at Davis Farmers' Market tonight, June 27, from 4-8 p.m. We'll be live on the air with rich local content, doing what we do for the community. I hope you'll drop by, chat with the programmers on air (or off), and make a donation. You can also do that online or walk a donation into the media center at 1623 Fifth Street in Davis.

Your support is needed, now.

In community,
Autumn Labbe-Renault
Executive Director

From the Mailbag

June 26, 2012- "Please find enclosed a donation for $A55 towards your fund drive. The extra $5 is meant to cover the exchange rate.  I am a keen listener of Wayne Hagen's "Sounds So Sweet" program via the web, and wish to continue my support. I hope that you reach your target." -- Tony Dunn, Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia. (Thank you, Tony!)

Cool Davis 2012 - Workshop on Community Choice Energy

Now airing on DCTV and available here, DMA recorded a Workshop on Community Choice Energy presented June 14, 2012 at the Davis Senior Center.

The workshop was sponsored by Cool Davis Foundation, Valley Climate Action Center and the Natural Resources Commission of the City of Davis.  

Presenters:
Dean Newberry, Chair, Natural Resources Commission
Gerry Braun, Director, California Renewable Energy Center

Panel of Experts:
Bill Julian—Former California Public Utilities Commission Lawyer
Shawn E. Marshall—Executive Director, Local Energy Aggregation Network
Bill Powers—Author, Bay Area Smart Energy 2020 Strategic Plan

Thank you to Cool Davis for its continued partnership with DMA.

Shout-outs & Love

• Patrick Shearer, for his superb job as hosting intern for "In the Studio." More about Patrick in the next newsletter!
• Nicolette Daskalakis & Bryce Parker for their help with DMA's "Be Phone Wise!" video contest
• Diane Crumley, Jim Buchanan, Cliff Gamble, Doug Kelly, Bill Buchanan, Ron Cotterel, Rod Moseanko, and Craig and Darien Blomberg for extended volunteer service at June 23's Davis Music Festival
• Danny Tomasello, Music Only Makes Sense and the Davis Music Collective for a fine day full of incredible music on June 23
• Henry's Bullfrog Bees, newest KDRT underwriter
• Alex Silva-Sadder and Jeff Shaw, for adroitly wrangling kids during our kids' video and animation camps, and for giving them all such a postive introduction into the world of media making. Nicolette Daskalakis, again, or her assistance with Kid Vid.

Coming up soon...

• Animation camp openings
• Be Phone Wise! Video Contest
• Consumer advocacy nights at the media center
• And more! 

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