Blogs

We're fundraising this week to support programs like these. If you can help, please go to KDRT.org/donate. Thank you!

Three episodes of local programs created for Davis community radio station KDRT — two about sports, and one about the aftermath of a traumatic week in Davis — were honored Wednesday in the San Francisco Press Club’s 47th annual Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards.

Rohan Baxi (in left photo, at UC Berkeley), who graduated from Da Vinci High School in June and now attends the University of California at Berkeley, won second and third place in the noncommercial radio/podcast Sports Feature category for episodes titled “Fair Play,” about women’s sports and pay disparity from June 2024, and ”Rowing Stronger,” from July 2024.

Bill Buchanan (right photo, at the awards) placed second among noncommercial public affairs programs with small staffs for “Integrating a traumatic week into Davis,” an interview with Susan Cosio following three violent assaults, including two fatalities, in spring 2023. Cosio, a retired hospital chaplain, pastor and longtime resident of Davis, has spent most of her life helping people navigate crises. This episode also won a Hometown Media Award from the Foundation for the Alliance for Community Media this summer.

Nick Saloman of the amazing Bevis Frond brings you the one and only IMPLOSION — 5 p.m. Pacific, Wed 4 Dec. — featuring the psychedelic sounds of Blossom Toes, Focus Three, the Fresh Windows, and much MUCH more. Love the show? Support the station if you can: kdrt.org/donate!

Tune in to The Key of Folk this afternoon from 2 to 3 PM for twice the DJ pleasure as Bill Wagman joins me for the hour. Musical offerings will include pieces from Watchhouse, the Evie Ladin Band, Laurie Lewis, Adrienne Young, Kathy Barwick, and The Atlantic Folk Trio. So join in and hear a little mouth music, and body music thanks to two of the groups. It's a great time to support the station at KDRT.org/donate! Just click the link and you're there, how easy can it get? Thanks for listening and thanks for your support!

It's almost time for Divine Intervention, stuffing the airwaves with the latest sounds from near — Fake Fruit, Fantastic Negrito — and far — Amyl and the Sniffers, Goat, Party Dozen! We'll honor our Goddess of Month, and we'll observe a very special Vinyl Vespers. The fun starts at 6 p.m. Pacific here on KDRT 95.7 fm | KDRT.org!

We're ready to roll today at 5 p.m. Pacific with tunes from Bill Callahan, the 101ers, Patti Smith, the Silver Jews, the Velvets, and more. Don't miss the Russ Tolman Goodtime Hour, right here on KDRT 95.7 fm | KDRT.org!

We're thankful to bring IMPLOSION with Nick Saloman your way today at 5 p.m. Pacific! Tune in for sounds from the Bunch, the Brain, the Mooche, and Skip Bifferty — right here on your favorite grassroots radio station, KDRT 95.7 fm | KDRT.org!

Join us at 2PM this afternoon on In the Key of Folk. You'll hear a new track from an upcoming album by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, along with more music by Kalos, Triton, Lula Wiles, Lady Maisery, RURA, Kora Feder and more. Some old favorites and some new favorites! I hope to see you then on KDRT 95.7 fm | KDRT.org

Celebrate KDRT's 20th during our fall fundraiser, starting Mon., Dec. 2, with special thank-you gifts – including our new 20th Anniversary blue-heron T-shirt! Join us for these special gatherings:

• Dec 8: Davis Manor Holiday Crafts Bazaar @ Duke & M St., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Dec 8: Holiday Vinyl Bazaar with the 410s @ Blue Note Brewing, 12-5 p.m.

Please show your support during fundraiser week at KDRT.org/donate!

This Friday at 5pm Pacific, it's a TELEVISION SPECIAL on the Russ Tolman Goodtime Hour with guest Richard Lloyd. Join Russ & Richard as they talk guitar, Television's early days, touring, meeting Jimi Hendrix, paling with Anita Pallenberg, the wonders of broccoli... *plus* plenty of Television and Richard solo recordings. Do *not* miss it... right here on KDRT 95.7 FM | KDRT.org!

Here at Davis Media Access (DMA), we’ve just said goodbye to a true helper, someone who has fundamentally shaped the course of this organization and by extension, this community, for the past 25 years.

Jeff Shaw departed this month for a new job managing government access television for the City of Piedmont and netted a really short commute from his home in Berkeley. While they say no one is irreplaceable and I believe that to be true, Jeff is much beloved and it’s a tough goodbye. 

As production manager for DMA, Jeff was instrumental in helping to build partnerships here in Davis and throughout Yolo County. Thanks in large part to his efforts, our alliances with the Davis Joint Unified School District, City of Davis, Woodland Community College, and dozens of community-based groups throughout Yolo County have blossomed and grown. He's guided dozens of high school and college students through internships.

Most notably, Jeff is the main reason KDRT came into being. In 2000, he approached the leadership of what was then called Davis Community Television to say there was an opportunity to start a low-power FM ( a special class of non-commercial educational radio) station for Davis, and would they consider it. Fast forward four years and a ton of work, and KDRT launched Sept. 24, 2004. In the intervening years, Jeff advised and assisted dozens of others to secure licenses and launch stations.