| Davis Media Access

A Note from the Director

Recently, KDRT DJ Eddy Owt and DMA Studio & Facilities Coordinator Ray Orosco teamed up to record touring band Black Viiolet in the newly relaunching Davis Media Access (DMA) TV studio. By all accounts it was a worthwhile endeavor and fun, although not everything went as expected.

Sharing in these conversations, I found myself repeating something that’s been a mantra for many years: DMA is not a production house, but a community-based learning lab. We learn by doing, and we help others learn by doing as well. We’re lean on resources but rich in ingenuity and enthusiasm.

So yes, moving from an analog to a digital mixer is a learning curve, and good audio is as vital to a video production as the video itself. I trust Ray and Eddy (and others) will practice more and figure this out–and then help others along the way.

I’m excited to see–at long last–our TV studio coming back online following a long pandemic and an even longer remodel process. Back in the day, we supported public access and the desires of individuals to get trained in TV production. Countless changes in both media use and media technology later, and the call for individual use is scant. Instead, we focus on community-benefit projects such as local election coverage, arts and culture performances, and nonprofit partnerships.

There will come a moment when we once again offer PSA Day and some open studio time, but maybe let us get that new switcher dialed in first…

Further thoughts on Yolo County

On a call recently with a nonprofit executive director who is new to the area, she said “Yolo County is very intimate - everyone seems to be connected to everyone else.” I think that’s true, and also not true.

As I’ve been navigating the county and developing new partnerships through our Yolo Local project, I keep returning to the almost wholly unmet information needs for the Spanish-speaking population. As our ecosystem assessment highlighted, that’s one-fifth of our total population. This week my collaborator jesikah maria ross and I applied for a grant that would allow Yolo Local to connect more deeply with folks who need civic information in their own language. Although it’s a daunting time to be doing such work, we are pressing forward on that front.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to be in cahoots with our friends at PBS KVIE/Abridged for the launch of their weekly Yolo County newsletter, which will lean into Yolo Local’s assessment findings to inform editorial. They’re a great group of folks and I’m looking forward to digging in. A reminder that you can sign up for the weekly newsletter, which drops Wednesday afternoons, here.

In community,

Autumn Labbé-Renault

Executive Director

‘Davisville’ wins national journalism award for KDRT

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KDRT-LP 95.7 FM has won a national award from the Public Media Journalists Association for an episode of the public affairs program “Davisville” that addressed declining school enrollment in Davis.

“Davis faces choice between more homes, fewer schools,” broadcast in May 2025, won first place for news/public affairs programs from stations with small news operations, the PMJA said June 15.

How we serve our community

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The past year has greatly underscored the importance of fact-based information in a functioning democracy. At a moment when big media corporations are failing to do their job of providing such information, the need for trusted community-based media has never been clearer.

While based in Davis, as the only community media nonprofit in Yolo County, Davis Media Access (DMA) works countywide. We’re known as a trusted, engaged partner that works to expand civic participation and fill local information gaps. Every day, we’re at work helping organizations and individuals to amplify their work, and we carry that out through six different projects:

Yolo Local, Abridged announce partnership

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Community media center and public media organization forge innovative partnership

I am thrilled to share the news of Davis Media Access’s groundbreaking partnership with KVIE-–our region’s Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) station.

Last September, KVIE launched Abridged, a daily local newsletter for the Sacramento area. Now they are teaming up with DMA’s Yolo Local initiative to launch a weekly newsletter for Yolo County. You can sign up for it here!

When I stepped into the role of executive director at Davis Media Access (DMA) almost 20 years ago, it was with a clear vision there was a different path for our organization, one based on centering our work through community partnerships versus focusing solely on bringing people to our facility.

I saw the media center as a hub, with its work carried out through various projects, and with support from many, I’ve driven the organization in pursuit of that goal, resulting in partnerships with the City of Davis; Davis Joint Unified School District; Woodland Community College; local musicians and businesses; elected officials, and nonprofits around the county.

Yolo Local was the next unfolding of this vision, rooted in a belief that DMA has a role to play in addressing the decline of local news and information that meets community needs.

This new collaboration between a community media center and a public media organization is not only extremely rare, it’s proof of both rising to meet the moment, and the need. Bringing the learnings from Yolo Local’s community-engaged needs assessment together with Abridged’s editorial framework, this partnership will serve residents with listening sessions, events and a weekly newsletter dedicated to Yolo County. Importantly, it will be free to access and driven by community input. Read the full story.

We want to get this newsletter to as many Yolo County residents as possible. Can you help? Please sign up for the Abridged Yolo County newsletter, and help spread the news through your own networks. I’m delighted to share that jesikah maria ross, who has served as Yolo Local’s advisor from the start, is on board for the start of this phase.

DMA/Yolo Local faces many challenges, including finding funding to grow this work and our capacity. But in a world where big media is failing to provide information that contributes to the health of our communities, and media at all levels is under duress, we’ve come together with KVIE/Abridged as partners committed in service to Yolo County.

Autumn Labbé-Renault

Executive Director, Davis Media Access

Local election programming now available

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Under the banner of its civic information project Yolo Local, Davis Media Access (DMA) produced 15 “Meet the Candidates” statements for contested races ranging from Yolo County Supervisor to Congress, as well as position statements for ballot Measure V in the City of Davis.

DMA is the only noncommercial community media center in Yolo County, and its nonpartisan local election coverage is a free service provided to candidates and the community for over 38 years. Every election is unique, and this one saw us recording many more Congressional candidates due to the impacts of redistricting.

Candidates who were invited to participate but did not respond include Christine Bish, Mandy Ghusar; Jimih Jones; Charles Uribe Jr.; and Richard Pan.

All content airs on Comcast Channel 15 in Davis and is available online here The following statements are available for the June 2, 2026 election:

• Meet the Candidates - June 2026 - Congressional District 4

• Meet the Candidates - June 2026 - Congressional District 6

• Meet the Candidates - June 2026 - Yolo County Supervisor District 3

• Meet the Candidates - June 2026 - Yolo Superior Court Judge, Oﬃce 1

• Davis Ballot Measure V - June 2026 - Village Farms Development (Pro/con

For more information please info@davismedia.org.

Yolo County Leaders Stand Together with Survivors

DAVIS--March 18, 2026--For many years, Davis Media Access (DMA) has partnered with the City of Davis on the annual Cesar Chavez celebration. In light of that, we are choosing to share this statement from a coalition of Yolo County's elected leaders.

Yolo County Leaders Stand Together with Survivors

Women's History Month and recent news about survivors of sexual abuse — including statements from Dolores Huerta and other women — calls us to speak.

We, past and present elected, leaders of Yolo County stand together in support of survivors and against sexual abuse and harassment. Huerta's statement does not condemn movements working to better humanity, nor does it diminish them. Rather, it illuminates the troubling ways that those with less power are forced to confront and navigate abuse within the very spaces meant to uplift them. We must continue working towards unity and collaboration.

As current and former elected officials, we commit to respecting and maintaining appropriate boundaries in both public and private spheres, and to holding one another accountable for our behavior and actions. No matter who the abuser is, accountability must extend across all systems and spheres. We honor the courage it takes to come forward, especially fromm communities fighting injustice, and encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual abuse or harassment to do so. We also want to ensure that survivors and victims in our county know that support is available. And may we continue to work together toward gender equity and other forms of justice for farm workers and all in our schools and in our society.

In Service,

Norma Alcala, Shelia Allen, Angel Barajas, Laura Brubaker, Lea Darrah, Elizabeth Esquivel, Lucas Frerichs, Kandice Fowler, Cecilia E. Greenwald, Bibiana Garcia, Martha Guerrero, Hiram Jackson, Garth Lewis, Jesse Loren, David Moreno, Melissa Moreno, Julian Munoz, Elizabeth Moon, Donna Neville, Maria J. Olmedo, Jesse Ortiz, Gloria Partida, Xóchitl Rodriguez, Don Saylor, Albert Vallecillo, Mayra Vega, Rogelio Villagrana, Oscar Villegas, Bapu Vaitla, Jackie Wong, Mariko Yamada, Shelton Yip and Deborah B. Zavala

Empower Yolo — 24/7 Crisis Line: 530-662-1133 | 175 Walnut Street, Woodland: 530-661-6336. Free and confidential crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, legal help, and advocacy. The abuse does not have to be recent to qualify for services.

Yolo County District Attorney Victim Services — Resource counseling, referrals, and advocacy for survivors navigating the justice system. yoloda.org/victim-assistance-family-protection. Includes Cameron's Place (Yolo County DA's Office) — Trauma-sensitive services for child survivors, including forensic interviews, medical exams, therapy, and advocacy.

California Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP) — Financial assistance for crime-related costs. Apply through the Yolo County Victim Witness Assistance Center or at caldoj.ca.gov/calvcp.

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline — 1-800-656-4673, available 24/7

National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7

Comcast changes City Channel 16 to Channel 21

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If you've tuned into the City of Davis's Government Channel 16 on the Comcast system in Davis to find religious programming and you're a bit confused--you're not alone!

Conversations with Comcast staff indicate this was a planned move, though it came as a surprise to those in Davis. To date, public access Channel 15 and educational access Channel 17 are unaffected.

Although DMA does not manage the government channel we do have a partnership with the City to record the civic meetings aired on it.

To sum up, you can find City meetings now on Comcast 21. Learn more about city meetings

Celebration of Life, Feb. 15

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With gratitude for our community's generosity, this is a note to say If you happen to be local to Yolo County, you are invited to celebrate Diane's Crumley's life with memories and live music this weekend.

Join us on Sunday, Feb.15 from 1 to 3 pm at the Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 2nd St, Davis, CA 95616.

Remembering Bill Wagman

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Armadillo Music and KDRT invite our friends to a special gathering in memory of Bill Wagman, long-time host of "Sometimes Folk" and "The Folk Brothers" on KDRT, as well as "The Saturday Morning Folk Show" on KDVS. If you knew Bill or were a fan of his radio programs and house concerts, please join us in honoring Bill on Monday, Feb. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Armadillo at 207 F St. in downtown Davis.

DMA will record, stream MLK event

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DMA is pleased to once again stream and record this annual community event and touchstone on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 #communityevents #MLKday #communitymedia

In Memoriam: Diane Crumley

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Editor's Note: Diane's Celebration of Life is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 1 pm, to be held at Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in Davis. Questions can be directed to info at davismedia dot org.

Learn more about Yolo Local

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Our Dec. 15 webinar will include updates about what we've learned and what we hope to accomplish moving forward. Register by sending an email to yololocal@davismedia.org.

Giving Tuesday is Dec. 2

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Giving Tuesday is an annual global day of online giving specifically designed to support the nonprofit sector. It follows Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, Artists' Sunday, and Cyber Monday, and takes place each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.

A donation on Giving Tuesday helps support the community-focused work Davis Media Access (DMA) and its projects carry out year round. Whether that's streaming and archiving public meetings; documenting high-school performing arts; curating amazing community radio, or working to develop a new and equitable source of civic information in Yolo County, the work of DMA amplifies much of the rest of the nonprofit sector as well.

Thank you for your generosity! You can donate here.

Davis Media Access Releases ‘Yolo County News & Information Ecosystem Report’

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Please note: you can download a copy of the report via a link at the end of this article.

Yolo Local maps sector, outlines challenges and opportunities

Sept. 29, 2025—Davis Media Access (DMA) announces the release of its “Yolo County News & Information Ecosystem” report, which presents ideas for addressing the reduced availability of local information and news in Yolo County.

The 70-page report follows months of research, conversations and contact with people throughout Yolo County to understand how the decline of traditional local media outlets affects both information providers and Yolo residents. DMA calls its effort to address this decline Yolo Local.

DMA worked with Impact Architects, nationally known consultants; jesikah maria ross of Davis, a community-engaged journalist, and the 11-member Yolo Local Working Group. The community engagement, which primarily ran from April to August 2025, included a bilingual survey, direct engagement at events, one-to-one interviews, and roundtable discussions.

The report is rooted in Impact Architects’ framework and methodology for large-scale ecosystem reports, and includes key comparative data about Yolo County, such as race and ethnicity, income, and civic wellness data. It describes the community engagement approach and strategies that Yolo Local used, and includes a list of organizations and individuals involved. 

Key findings in the report include:

● The need for expanded Spanish-language and bilingual media: While 36 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino/a and nearly 20 percent speak Spanish at home, no news sources are specifically dedicated to serving Hispanic and Latino/a communities in the county

 ● The need for a backbone institution for the news and information sector: News outlets expressed interest in coordinating with other outlets, but lack a structure to do so. A backbone could act as an “assignment editor,” manage shared resources, and foster collaboration across platforms

 ● The call to cover critical topics, inclusively: Residents want deeper reporting on local governance, agriculture (including farmworkers’ voices), education, and perspectives and experiences of immigrants and people of color, which are often missing or misrepresented

● An opportunity exists to create a central resource hub to connect local residents with community, government and nonprofit resources and services. Models in other U.S. cities show that news outlets can connect communities to vital resources

KDRT turns 21 ! Join us in celebrating the coming of age of our grassroots community station

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WHAT: KDRT 21st birthday bash with live music by The Cantaliers (Latin, Surf, Rockabilly) and live broadcast

WHEN: Friday, October 3, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Sudwerk Brewing Co. Dock Store and Hop Yard, 2001 2nd Street, Davis, CA 95618

WHY: Celebrating 21 years of community-powered grassroots radio in Davis, CA!

The community is invited to this free, all-ages, outdoor event hosted by Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis Media Access staff/board, and KDRT volunteers.

Food and beverages will be available at the Sudwerk Dock Store, upbeat live Surf, Rockabilly and Latin music will be provided by Sacramento's The Cantaliers, River City Marketplace vendors will be on-hand for local wares, and our hospitality and outreach tables will be staffed by friendly DJ volunteers. During a time when LOCAL media is especially important, we look forward to gathering with our listeners and supporters.

Still here, still leading

By Autumn Labbé-Renault

This column was originally published in the Davis Enterprise, Aug. 8, 2025

With the rescission vote to pull federal funding from PBS and NPR and the subsequent winding down of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as mounting threats against journalists, the past few weeks have brought many questions my way. How does this affect Davis Media Access? How will DMA move forward? Will you be able to survive?

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KDRT Highlights

Laid back Friday on Listening Lyrics -- June 26, 2026

Grab the closest hammock you can find and tune in for Listening Lyrics on KDRT 95.7 FM / KDRT.org at 4 p.m. Pacific!

Davisville, June 29, 2026: Measure V, unsafely dark streets, a lovely place to live, and other opinions of Davis

Today we talk with two accomplished people at different stages of life about their experiences of Davis: Ken Wagstaff, a former mayor who moved here in the 1960s, and Adithi Sumitran, who just graduated from UC Davis and heads to law school at UC Berkeley this fall.

The subjects include Davis, the recent defeat of the Measure V housing measure, and what they think the community needs more of, and less of. Davis has a “big issue of safety, and the feeling of safety in Davis, that maybe we don’t talk about enough,” Adithi says. She cites the sense of menace created by the fatal stabbings (article might be paywalled) during her freshman year, and more recent incidents like the indecent exposures along Olive Drive, where she lived. Davis needs to improve street lighting, improve late-hours transit, and add policing in areas, she says. Ken says Davis’ dark skies ordinance is a point of pride, but supports adjusting it when needed for safety.

We also talk about what drew each to Davis (“it’s a lovely place to live,” she says), what Adithi will miss about the community, and Ken’s concluding appreciation for “people like [her], who comes here and sees the benefits and sees the things we’ve created, and we sort of take it for granted. So I hope you come back, Adithi, I hope we’ll have places for you and your friends to enjoy.” She says yes.

The Electric Compost Heap welcomes summer! – June 26, 2026

Hey there! Tonight (Friday) at 6 p.m. Pacific on The Electric Compost Heap, your host Dug Deep catches up on recent releases, including new tunes from Pokey LaFarge, Weird Nightmare, and LA LOM and Los Mirlos (playing together!). And since this is the first program of summer 2026, we'll spin a basketful of summer songs, too! Yep, see you soon at KDRT 95.7 FM and KDRT.org!

In the Key of Folk – June 24, 2026

Today In the Key of Folk spends some of the hour remembering Bill Wagman (pictured) and the more than 300 musicians that he brought to his Davis house concerts during a span of over 30 years. You'll also hear a new release or two and classic tracks by Chris Webster, Robert Earl Keen, and Driving With Fergus.

Dashboard Diaries – June 25, 2026

This week on Dashboard Diaries, DJ RayK plays a veritable smorgasbord of music… some ska, a bit of reggae, a few highlights from the Davis Music Fest, some '60s garage band classics, and several eras of soul music. It’s all over the map, just as the radio gods intended. He thinks it’s really worth a listen this time.

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