22 | NOVEMBER 14 • 2019 

A 

little less than three 
years after starting a 
college radio show 
that used Jewish teachings to 
spread positivity, Dovid Nissan 
Roetter founded the King David 
Network, an online radio sta-
tion with the same goal.
The network, based on 
Roetter’
s original show, “Bike 
of Life,
” is housed in a studio in 
Southfield. It debuted Nov. 1, 
2018, while Roetter was work-
ing toward a master’
s degree in 
broadcasting and cinematic arts 
at Central Michigan University 
(CMU). 
One of Roetter’
s advisers sug-
gested he enter the Make a Pitch 
competition for startup and 
potential businesses at CMU. 
Between November and 
April, Roetter attended work-
shops in preparation for the 
main competition. While his 
academic program covered best 
broadcasting methods and how 
to run radio stations, the com-
petition forced Roetter to think 
about the viability of his station 
as a business. Competitors iden-
tified problems, created solu-
tions through their companies, 
found potential customers and 
differentiated themselves from 
the competition. Roetter’
s busi-
ness plan grew to 32 pages.

Preparation for the compe-
tition included a gallery where 
startups could create a display.
“Just knowing I was at an 
official event made the compa-
ny feel real,
” Roetter said.
The grand prize was $25,000 
for the best overall company. 
Other categories included best 
social media, best technology, 
highest growth potential, best 
lifestyle and the best company 
for Michigan. Four businesses 
were also given pitch awards by 
judges while a fifth pitch was 
chosen by the audience.
Roetter did well in the social 
media and best company for 
Michigan categories, said Ross 
Noel, mentor-in-residence at 

CMU’
s College of Business 
Administration. He won $1,000 
for the best two-minute pitch. 
Noel said the judges gave 
Roetter the award unanimously.
 Roetter made it clear that the 
King David Network would be 
a reality regardless of whether 
he won, Noel said.
“He’
s already validated that 
people want to hear this,
” Noel 
said of the network.
In the midst of the com-
petition, an investor gave the 
network $5,000. “That really 
showed that we’
re serious, that 
we’
re not just an idea,
” Roetter 
said.
After the competition and 
the academic year ended, 
Roetter decided to move back 
to Metro Detroit to be closer 
to the Jewish community and 
grow the network. He left 
CMU, found a studio space and 
bought equipment.
Now, Roetter’
s team consists 
of 12 people, and the station has 
more than 5,000 Jewish songs of 
all genres. The network broad-
casts programming for children, 
music hours featuring female 
vocalists, and morning and eve-
ning Torah classes and psalms. 
From 7 a.m. until sundown 
on Fridays, a segment called 
Sounds of Shabbat gets listeners 

ready for the holy day. The sta-
tion is always on except during 
Shabbat and Jewish holidays. 
A lot of content is created 
in-house, but Roetter also got 
permission to run talk shows, 
lectures and podcasts from 
internationally renowned 
religious leaders and program 
hosts.

While “Bike of Life” was 
only an hour long and more 
topic-focused, the King David 
Network shares its goal: to 
spread positivity through Jewish 
teachings designed for every-
one. Roetter said King David 
taught that everything had to 
be done to spread Godliness 
because talents are from God. 
This is also why Roetter created 
the network — he said he felt 
the need to use his broadcast 
talents for good.
Roetter’
s sister, Pesha Leah 
Azoula Roetter, who passed 
away in 2010, wrote a poem 
that was the inspiration for 
“Bike of Life” and lived King 
David’
s teachings, traveling to 
Sweden and Florida to help 
those in need. Roetter created 
the King David Network in her 
memory, he said.
“That’
s exactly the legacy my 
sister deserves,
” Roetter said.
Roetter has broadcast live 
from community events and lets 
community members record 
sweepers and promotions. 
Advertisements, sponsorships 
and announcements of wed-
dings, birthdays, anniversaries, 
graduations and yahrtzeits are 
also available.
The King David Network will 
broadcast live from the Fourth 
Annual Chanu-Con on Sunday, 
Nov. 24, at Congregation 
Beth Shalom in Oak Park. 
The network can be found at 
kingdavidnetwork.com as well 
as on Facebook, Twitter and 
Instagram @KDNRadio. 

The Power 
of Radio

King David Network 
uses Jewish teachings to 
spread positivity.

GRACE TURNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Jews in the D

GRACE TURNER

Dovid Roetter

Steve Mavashev, news director for the 
network, and Dovid Roetter

TI F

