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