Blogs

Our volunteer programmers are looking forward to a special week of programming Dec. 5 to 11 during our annual fall on-air fundraising.

This year's theme, "Creativity Runs in our Roots," is particularly appropriate because we've worked hard to discover new ways to support the vibrancy of our community radio station. Whether producing shows from home, or adjusting to new safety protocols and schedules while using the KDRT studio, our intrepid group of more than 30 DJs have kept the grassroots spirit alive this year! We invite you to support these efforts today.

Today we join with organizations in more than 75 countries to "unleash generosity" via Giving Tuesday donations for the nonprofit community.

It's taken a special kind of dedication from our KDRT volunteer programmers this past year to continue to create new shows to share, often from their homes, instead of from the inspiring, fun atmosphere of the KDRT studio. We've all felt that it's been especially important to keep the feeling of community connection going through the 24/7 programming at KDRT. 

We look forward to a time when the studio is filled again with live music and conversation from visiting musicians and local guests. 

Please consider a donation today to help support these efforts into the future.

We invite everyone to join us this Friday, Nov. 26, as we celebrate what we're grateful for on the day after Thanksgiving. We're calling it "Sip Local, Shop Local, and Listen Local" as we meet on the heated outdoor patio at Berryessa Brewing Co. in Winters, with the taproom open from 3 to 8 p.m. The live music runs from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring Robbie Thayer (lead singer for local favorites Bottom Dwellers) and a special guest.

As a grassroots organization, we support the "Shop Small, Shop Local" movement, and a fun variety of custom tie-dye t-shirts and swag created by the Berryessa Brewing crew, and the hyper-local handcrafted Amy Loves Mustard, will also be available.

Next week, we at KDRT, and our parent organization Davis Media Access, are joining groups in more than 75 countries that are participating in the international "generosity celebration" Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30. We hope you'll add KDRT to your donation list this year at davismedia.org/donate

Longtime KDRT programmer Don Shor is Davis Media Access' 2021 pick for Volunteer of the Year. He'll be honored as part of the National Philanthropy Day celebration, hosted by Yolo Community Foundation, at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 16, 2021 at the Davis Central Park Pavilion. For more information, see https://yolocf.org

Shor is probably best known in our community as the owner of Redwood Barn Nursery, and he modestly describes himself as “a guy who likes plants and jazz.” He produces two extremely popular weekly shows on KDRT, each with listeners across the country and globe. The Davis Garden Show, with co-host Lois Richter, is one of the longest-running shows on KDRT, and Jazz After Dark averages 6,000 downloads per week.

Listen to the recorded broadcast here:  Healthy Davis Neighbors Night Out 2021 Broadcast

KDRT is proud to partner with the City of Davis to bring you a special broadcast Sunday October 17, from 4-7 p.m. We'll air interviews from Healthy Davis Together founders, Aggie Public Health Ambassadors, Davis City Councilmembers, music requested by neighborhood hosts, and more! We'll also give away $3,000 worth of certificates from Davis businesses for goods and services on each half-hour mark.

Listen for how to claim one of these grand prize packages! Tune in from your neighborhood party -- blast your car radio on 95.7 fm, or stream on your phone at kdrt.org. Stay safe, have fun and win big!

The San Francisco Press Club recently announced the winners of its 2021 Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards, and KDRT’s Davisville placed second and third among small noncommercial radio/audio public-affairs programs!

The winning episodes were an interview with Winters’ Nora Cary, “The Palms, on indefinite hiatus, is ending its lease in Winters” (Aug. 17, 2020), and a discussion with Ryan Easterday, a U.S. Navy commander from Davis (Feb. 17, 2020).

The contest recognizes excellent work by journalists and other communicators in 12 counties ranging from Monterey and Marin to Yolo. Davisville has previously won six S.F. Press Club awards for shows created in 2019, 2018 and 2017. On the program, journalist Bill Buchanan interviews people about events, news, and stories involving Davis. He produces the show, and his brother Jim Buchanan is the sound engineer. Both Davis residents have been volunteer programmers at KDRT for more than a decade.

This week marks the start of fall, the return of students to UC Davis, and the 17th birthday of KDRT. Our launch party was held on a warm Friday evening, Sept. 24, 2004, on the Davis Media Access backlot. It featured live music, hay bales for seats, speeches, cake, camaraderie, and excitement about having our own community radio station!

The event drew families, students, public figures, neighbors, artists, local business owners, and the many volunteers who had been working since 2000 to get this station on the air. Davis Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning was the evening's emcee, and Mayor Ruth Asmundson flipped the on switch to officially launch our broadcast.

Seventeen years later, we are proud to offer Davis locally produced radio that draws on the help and huge commitment of our 34 volunteer programmers, many of whom have been with us for a decade or more. We treasure this local resource, and look forward to the day when we can again come together with the community to celebrate in person. Until then, stay tuned to 95.7 FM, "where the grassroots grow," and stream our wide variety of shows at kdrt.org.

Updated Aug. 13 with link to Live Tracks that featured short talks with musicians who played with Gary, plus information about Davis Music Connections program on Aug. 17

We’re sorry to report this news: Gary Lee Yoder, whose Davis band Oxford Circle became part of the San Francisco Sound in the 1960s, died on Saturday, Aug. 7. He was born in 1946.

Gary lived in Davis most of his life, and continued to perform in town after returning to Davis following his time in the Bay Area.

He was also a member of the Davis High School Hall of Fame as a player on the school’s undefeated varsity boys basketball team of 1961-62.

After Oxford Circle broke up, he and band co-leader Dehner Patten formed Kak. The group played fewer than a dozen concerts but recorded a self-titled LP for Epic in 1969, renamed Kak-Ola when released in expanded form on CD. Many listeners consider it to be an obscure gem from the psychedelic era. A live recording of Oxford Circle was released on CD.

After Kak, Gary recorded solo material, and became a later member of Blue Cheer.

At least three KDRT program hosts plan to play some of Gary’s music: