Category: News and Events

Are you new to town? Have you been so consumed with work, school, family, Celebrity Big Brother, whatever, that you really don't feel you know that much about what the Sun Media Center does? Want to get some free hands-on experience behind the camera, in front of the camera, and in front of the microphone? The SPMC is the best place in town to share your creativity and your passion with friends, family, the city, even the world. And there is no better time to learn more about the Media Center then our Free Media Maker Labs for Kids and Adults held in conjunction with the Sun Prairie Public Library.Be a Radio DJ! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a radio disc jockey? Did you…

The Sun Prairie Media Center is happy to announce that effective immediately, it is increasing the number of city meetings that it is covering on its main TV channel KSUN. KSUN has been providing live coverage of the following meetings for years: Common Council, Committee of the Whole, Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Plan Commission, Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, and Public Works Committee. Starting in January, the Media Center is adding the following meetings to its broadcast schedule: Business Improvement District, Library Board, Transit Commission, Tourism Commission, Parks Rec and Forestry Commission, Historical Library and Museum Board, Police and Fire Commission, Sun Prairie Utilities Commission, Alcohol License Review Board, and Sexual Offender Residency Board. “This expansion of meeting coverage came from discussions we’ve had with city administrator Aaron Oppenheimer and Mayor…

Did you know that the Apple TV service has, according to a study by research firm eMarketer, 21.3 million subscribers? If you are one of those subscribers, you can now use your Apple TV device to live stream KSUN and KIDS-4 as well as get tons of great on demand content created locally at the Sun Prairie Media Center! This comes hot on the heels of last month’s announcement that KSUN and KIDS-4 streaming and programming is now available on all Roku devices as well, which claims 38.9 million subscribers, according to the same eMarketer research. “In order to attract member producers and end users to our channels, it basically breaks down into two main areas, content and distribution,” said SPMC director Jeff Robbins. “Content isn’t an issue because we…

Now it is time to turn our attention to Sun Prairie Cardinals boys’ and girls’ varsity hoops as they get set to tip off their 2018-2019 seasons! All varsity basketball games are scheduled to be broadcast, with home games seen live on KSUN Charter cable channel 983, TDS cable channels 13 and 1013, streamed live at sunprairiemediacenter.com, and available on the KSUN Roku Channel. Home and away games will also be broadcast live on 103.5 The Sun Community Radio. The first 103.5 FM radio broadcast of the 2018-2019 season will be Friday, November 16, as the girls’ varsity team visits Madison Memorial. All games are currently scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM. Following the live broadcasts, all boys’ and girls’ home games will be made available for on demand viewing…

Is the return of football enough to ease the sting of summer ending? We don't know for sure, but the folks who run high school football are nice enough to let us eat our cake and have it too with no fewer than three Cardinal football games this summer (i.e., before high school classes start). The Sun Prairie Media Center is pleased to announce that KSUN, sunprairiemediacenter.com, and 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio will once again be the places to tune to for live coverage of home AND away Sun Prairie Cardinals high school football games this fall. All home games will be broadcast live on KSUN (Charter cable channel 983 and TDS channels 13 and 1013), streamed on sunprairiemediacenter.com, and aired on 103.5 The Sun Community Radio. Away…

On Saturday, August 11, the Sun Prairie Media Center hosted several of its member producers at the first annual Sun Prairie Media Center Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. The private event preceded the public 103.5 FM Summer Bash that featured live music from Madpolecats and the Kelsey Miles Band. The Media Center previously honored an individual producer at the annual Sun Prairie Public Library Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, but SPMC staff thought it was time to branch out. "Being part of the annual library event was great and we were very grateful that Svetha and her staff always made us feel welcome," said SPMC director Jeff Robbins. "But with the numbers of our volunteers growing, we felt it was appropriate to give our members their own ceremony which would allow us to properly…

Sun Prairie City Administrator Aaron Oppenheimer and Managing Editor of the Star Chris Mertes ended their summer on a high note as they marked 100 episodes of their KSUN TV original production “Inside Your City with Aaron and Chris.” Aaron and Chris began their illustrious TV hosting career together in May of 2014. On their first episode, they featured an interview with then-Sun Prairie Public Library director Tracy Herold. Since then they have interviewed dozens of city employees, business leaders, local service group leaders, and others. The featured guest on the 100th episode of “Inside Your City” of Tim Semmann, city of Sun Prairie Planning Director. While Mertes had hosted a KSUN show with Don Hooser for several years prior to 2014, “Inside Your City” was Aaron Oppenheimer’s first regular…

On Saturday, August 11, the Sun Prairie Media Center will host "103.5 Summer Bash," a concert and birthday celebration to commemorate the third anniversary of the broadcast launch of 103.5 The Sun Community Radio. The concert will be held at Sun Prairie’s Wetmore Park at 555 North Street. Festivities are scheduled to begin at 4 PM.   The free event will feature live performances from The Madpolecats and The Kelsey Miles Band. The Sun Prairie Lions Club will host a beer tent, and food and other beverages will be available for purchase from Dickey's Barbecue Pit as well as a hot dog and brat stand hosted by the Sun Prairie Optimist Club.     The Media Center is celebrating not only the third anniversary of the radio station, but also…

Here’s your child’s chance to write and produce their own videos by joining the one-of-a-kind KIDS-4 program! In KIDS-4, students are trained in many areas necessary to create their own television programs: Cameras, lighting, sound, directing, producing, writing, editing, as well as animation. While students work with adult staff, their creativity is unfiltered and their work is entirely their own. By creating their own media messages, students become smarter and more critical consumers of others' media messages. Students enrolled in KIDS-4 work after school once a week in "crews," and their work airs on KIDS-4, a 24-hour public access station as well as on kids4.tv. In 2016, thanks to the launch of 103.5 The Sun, radio production was added to the KIDS-4 curriculum. KIDS-4 is also dedicated to teaching students…

July 24, 2018 marked the one-year anniversary of the unexpected passing of Peter Wright. Peter was, among many other things, one of the earliest and most enthusiastic program producers at 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio.   Peter was a 1992 graduate of Sun Prairie High School and was so excited about the news that Sun Prairie was to be awarded its own radio station that he came to the SPMC several times before the station was even built, so excited was he to get on the air. He went on the air with his first show, "The Americana Hour," in August 2015, and consistently volunteered right up until about three days before he passed. Peter was also a huge advocate and promoter of the station and worked with local…