SOS KDRT - Davis - LocalWiki

KDRT now broadcasts on 95.7. See KDRT. This page is of historical interest only.

Save Our Station KDRT

KDRT, a local low-power radio station (101.5 FM) is facing loss of its frequency. Recently enacted FCC regulations make it easier for full-power stations to relocate, resulting in a commercial station’s plans to move from Yuba County to Woodland. According to station organizers, the move could force KDRT off the air and will entail a complicated process of petitioning the FCC for another frequency. “At a minimum, we believe we are looking at $15-20k in legal and engineering fees to fight this,” said Jeff Shaw, KDRT station director. ”KDRT’s entire budget is less than $25k per year. We’re truly a grassroots station.” Community businesses and volunteers have stepped up to begin fundraising.

Contacts

Diane Crumley, [email protected]

Jeff Shaw, [email protected]

Autumn Labbe-Renault, [email protected]

KDRT is a project of Davis Media Access (DMA), which also operates public access channel 15 on the Comcast cable system in Davis. KDRT is largely volunteer driven, and community supporters are stepping up to drive this campaign, said Diane Crumley, a DMA board member and co-chair of SAVE KDRT.

“We’ve had emergency meetings with programmers to organize, and they are excited about finding creative ways to get the message out and raise money,” Crumley said. “The larger community’s response to this been amazing. People are incensed and eager to help.”

Crumley also said that fundraising efforts are under way. The Davis Food Co-op, a business underwriter for KDRT since 2004, launched a donation campaign at its registers. A flyer describes the situation and encourages shoppers to donate to the radio station’s legal and engineering costs. The Co-op has pledged up to $1k in matching funds.

KDRT programmer and local promoter Brendan Boyle organized a benefit concert for Sunday, April 8, 2007 at the Delta of Venus in Davis. Local acts Ben Lewis, Patrick Ferris, Doug Kauffman, Chief Briggum, Ol’ Snakey’s Bluejass Ramblers, G2 and Katie Delwiche performed. The event was free, but the musicians and Delta of Venus staff donated all tips that evening to KDRT. More information and a schedule is available at www.kdrt.org.

Crumley added that volunteers will table at Farmer’s Market and Picnic Day, among other places, and will also launch a funding appeal in mid-April. All are welcome and encouraged to get involved.

“We are very grateful for our community’s support and hope to sustain this momentum,” Crumley said. “To lose this community resource would be unthinkable.”

Past Press Releases

3-27-2007: KDRT Poised to Lose its Frequency

News

3-26-2007 Davis Enterprise, Bigger Station puts KDRT signal at risk.
3-29-2007 Sacramento Bee, Bye 'Earth Momma' and Hello John Tesh?
3-29-2007 Davis Enterprise, Fight is on to keep our station, Special to the Enterprise by Autumn Labbe-Renault.
4-06-2007 The Daily Democrat, KDRT fighting Yuba FM station
4-13-2007 The California Aggie, Davis community radio station may go off the air
4-13-2007 Sacramento Bee, Crisis for community radio - Letter to the Editor by George Moore.
4-19-2007 The California Aggie, City of Davis backs local radio station
4-24-2007 The California Aggie Editorial: KDRT, KMJE Conflict Note: The Aggie editorial was factually wrong on several accounts. The proposed KMJE broadcasting tower is not in Woodland, but just outside of Davis (much closer to Davis, in fact) in county lands, the editorial makes it sound as if there is an open frequency that KDRT can move to, when there isn't. And finally, it implies that KMJE was immediately accomodating to KDRT, when in fact, no one from Results Radio contacted anyone at KDRT until after KDRT and the news media found out about their application. Station Manager Jeff Shaw wrote a letter to the editor to the Aggie to correct theese mistakes, however, the Aggie has not printed it. Several attempts to get a hold of the Editor in Chief failed.
5-01-2007 Davis Enterprise, "Help this radio station survive," by Craig Blomberg, Davis
9-04-2008 The California Aggie, FCC and KDRT reach compromise

SOS KDRT Events

Show support for your community radio station at the following events, and grab yourself an SOS KDRT sticker!

* 6-4-2007: KDRT Jesse Drew, of Technocultural Studies, is sponsoring a Save KDRT event at the Varsity Theater on June 4th. He'll be showing a documentary about KPFA, and how it was started. Save the date! * KDRT will be tabling at every Farmer's Market, Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. * Check back for more!

Past Events

* 04-17-2007 6:30-7:30 pm: The Davis City Council issued a proclamation supporting media democracy and KDRT's efforts to stay on the air. Many Davis citizens were in attendance and responded with tumultuous applause to statements amde by the Council as well as comments from KDRT programmers, directors, and other members of the public. Jack Fritz, a representative of Results Radio that owns KMJE, was also in attendance and made a public statement. Read about it. * 04-08-2007 7:00-10:30 pm: Delta of Venus held a benefit concert for KDRT. Featured musicians were be Ben Lewis, Patrick Ferris, Doug Kauffman, Chief Briggum, Ol' Snakey's BlueJass Ramblers, G2, and Katie Delwiche. 100% of tips and donations given to artists went to KDRT. Thanks to Brendan Boyle for organizing and Delta of Venus for hosting, KDRT raised over $1,000 at this event!