Organizing efforts under way for SAVE KDRT campaign
Davis, CA--Community businesses and volunteers have stepped up to begin fundraising for local low-power radio station KDRT 101.5 FM.

Recently enacted FCC regulations make it easier for full-power stations to relocate, and KDRT is facing loss of its frequency at 101.5 FM due to 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.”

KDRT launched in Sept. 2004, and in just over two years, has trained more than 70 programmers, worked with the business community on underwriting and aired hundreds of hours of local election programming. In 2006, the station received the City's prestigious Thong Hy Hyunh award for Excellence in Community Service.

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 fund raising efforts are under way. The Davis Food Coop, a business underwriter for KDRT since 2004, will launch a donation campaign at its registers this week. A flyer describes the situation and encourages shoppers to donate to the radio station’s legal and engineering costs. The Coop has pledged up to $1k in matching funds.

KDRT programmer and local promoter Brendan Boyle has organized a benefit concert this Sunday, April 8 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 will perform. The event is free but the musicians and Delta of Venus staff will donate all tips that evening to KDRT. The Delta of Venus is located at 122 B Street in Davis. More information and a schedule is available at http://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. The next meeting for interested volunteers is Sunday, April 15 at 6 p.m. at the DMA studios, 1623 Fifth Street in Davis. 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.”

Information about the issue and how to help is available at http://www.kdrt.org