Blogs

Thanks to the concerted volunteer help of many individuals*, Davis Media Access (DMA) launched its annual fund raising appeal May 1. With a goal of raising $20k before the month is over, we are making great progress- $12k to date. Thank you for the tremendous response we have received so far! We still have a ways to go and we can’t do it without your continued support and participation.

If you’ve not yet donated or are on the fence, please take a minute to consider DMA’s role and value in our community and what these contributions directly support: grassroots radio station KDRT; support for youth media programming, and local election coverage.

DMA’s Board of Directors organizes a live production at the start of our fund raising season each year. On May 1, we produced the Second Annual Live Thank-a-Thon. The live show featured a wide range of community producers and volunteers from both DCTV and KDRT, as well as representatives from community partners, non-profits, and elected officials (special thanks to Mayor Joe Krovoza, City Councilmember Lucas Frerichs and County Supervisor Don Saylor for making time to share their reflections about DMA). DMA Board Chair Ron Clement and Vice Chair Paul Sheeran--DCTV and KDRT programmers, respectively--served as co-hosts for the live show, and Board Secretary Patty Clark chaired the event. We thank everyone who participated, watched and dropped by the studio for helping us to highlight some of the many participants and collaborations under the DMA umbrella. Click here to view the show.

DMA is proud to welcome John Z. Bikoba and Henry House as the newest members of our board.

John is originally from the Congo and has been living in Davis for several years with his family; he and his wife Alice just welcomed their first child, a daughter. John is a musician and a geologist by training who is currently employed by UC Davis Food Service. He says his lens on life is music, diversity and the outdoors, and he looks forward to sharing those with the DMA community.

We are pleased to report that DMA has a received a grant from The Columbia Foundation in support of media and education about food and sustainable agriculture issues.

This grant was awarded on the recommendation of Desmond Jolly, from a discretionary fund established to recognize his volunteer service to the foundation as a program advisor. Desmond is a former DCTV board member and longtime supporter of our organization, and we thank him for his recognition of our work.

Local High School Graduations: Each year, as part of the work DMA does in managing DJUSD Channel 17, our staff and interns record all five local high school graduations (Davis High School, Da Vinci Charter Academy, King High School, Davis School for Independent Study, and Davis Adult School). Plans are underway to record this year’s commencement services. Copies of each ceremony will be available for a fee; look for more information about how and where to order in early June.

DMA's Kid Vid Workshops and Animation Camps are back for Summer 2013. Registration is open and these camps are very popular and fill up quickly. 

Proposals for new KDRT shows for the period  beginning April 15 are due by March 15. info@kdrt.org

Beginning the week of March 4, 2013, DMA will increase its open hours to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our staff is small but recognizes that our volunteer usage has increased and there's a need for this.  Please note, the facility will be open for normal use during this time but no technical assistance will be available. DMA's after-hours use policy has been amended to reflect the change and can be read here.

DMA's Production Manager Jeff Shaw, Crew Leader Cliff Gamble and our intrepid high-school interns have been busy in the field.

New programs abound and old favorites remain on KDRT. Some recent Highlights: "Listening Lyrics" (Fridays 4 p.m. with Pieter Pastoor) features Marque Cass of local band Tha Dirt Feelin'. On "Davisville" (Mondays 5:30 p.m), Bill Buchanan checks in with Davis City Councilmembers Brett Lee and Lucas Frerichs about their first six months on the job. On "The Golden Road" (Thursdays 6 p.m.), host Rod Moseanko interviews famed musician, composer, producer, artist and visionary, Bob Bralove of San Francisco. Wednesdays at 1 p.m., DJ Skip brings you "Roots, Rock, Revolution." Wednesdays at 3 p.m., check in with Gary Pratt on "An International Affair." Brazilian Carnaval music one week, Chinese opera the next, Gary truly brings some international flair.  And, if you like storytelling, you can listen to Ruth Chambers on "Chambers Street Theatre" Thursdays at 11 a.m., or "Club Huga" with Michelle Woods Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

Davis Media Access with the help of volunteers and interns produced a number of programs this February, including the Surface Water Project Forum, Breaking the Cycle of Gun Violence, Parent University, the 19th Annual City of Davis Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame 2012.

All programs air on Davis Community Television Comcast Channel 15 in Davis.  Follow the link to read more about these programs and view them online.