Davis Media Access

 

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:

• City of Davis Media Services Under an agreement with the City, DMA staff records and streams council and commission meetings, providing critical access to important civic information.

• Davis Community Television (DCTV) is DMA’s origin story. Launched as a single public access channel in 1988, DCTV is still a place where technology is used to amplify community voices. We just finished helping political candidates in contested races countywide to record “Meet the Candidates” statements. We work with a wide variety of nonprofits on everything from event coverage to podcast production, and we tirelessly promote community resources and needs.

• Educational Access TV: In partnership with the City of Davis and the Davis Joint Unified School District, we record, air, stream, and archive the district’s school board meetings. We also offer entry-level production work for high-school students, and record approximately 50 school-based productions per year, including performing arts and graduation ceremonies.

• KDRT: Operating for almost 22 years as a low-power community radio station at 95.7 FM locally and kdrt.org(link is external) worldwide, KDRT, Where the Grassroots Grow, is an important community hub and volunteer-fueled project. KDRT aims to inspire, enrich, and entertain listeners through an eclectic mix of music, cultural, educational, and public-affairs programs and services. The station builds community by promoting dialogue, encouraging artistic expression, and acting as a forum for people who typically lack media access.

• Woodland Community College: DMA has a long-running partnership with Yuba College's Woodland campus, where we staff its eLearning Studio two days per week. The studio helps faculty, administrators, students and community members access television and podcast studios that are used for everything from distance learning to historical preservation.

• Yolo Local: In 2025, DMA conducted an intensive countywide news and information needs assessment that identified key gaps and needs. One of those was the nearly wholesale lack of Spanish-language media in a county where almost 40 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic/Latino/a.

• The success of this assessment led to another ground-breaking partnership this spring with KVIE-–our region’s Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) outlet. Last September, KVIE launched Abridged, a daily local newsletter for the Sacramento area. Now they are teaming up with Yolo Local on a weekly newsletter for Yolo County. 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 free weekly newsletter dedicated to Yolo County. 

About Davis Media Access

Davis Media Access (DMA) has grown an organization, a community and much capacity since its humble beginnings in 1989 as a single public access channel known as Davis Community Television. Now in our 37th year, we’re taking a look at where we’ve been and seeking to grow a bold future and purpose as we move ahead. 

DMA is the media center, which is both a physical space, and a philosophical commitment to a mission and set of values. These are carried out via three main projects: DCTV, DJUSD, and KDRT.  

There is no other nonprofit like DMA in all of Yolo County.  We strengthen community by documenting meetings and important events, and through promoting dialogue and encouraging artistic expression, all while acting as a forum for issues that may otherwise be unaddressed. We’re proud to have been recognized locally and nationally for our efforts to amplify the work of other nonprofits, local government, schools, libraries, and the arts.

This year also marks the 21st anniversary of our community radio station KDRT’s launch. KDRT’s brand of people-powered, grassroots-fueled community radio has had an undeniable impact throughout Yolo County and far beyond that belies its Low-Power FM designation.

General information can be found on our website at davismedia.org