Wisconsin Community Media, in conjunction with the Alliance for Community Media’s Midwest Region, held their annual Spring Conference and Best of the Midwest Media Fest earlier this month.
The Sun Prairie Media Center is happy to announce that thirteen original shows created for either KSUN television or 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio received awards at the fest.
Volunteer producer Mark Gonwa was a big winner, taking home the prize for Best in Show (radio division) for his 103.5 programs “Take Immediate Cover” and “Song Archaeology.” “Song Archaeology” focuses on connecting popular songs through themes, while “Take Immediate Cover” features the best, strangest, and must-hear versions of tracks initially made famous by other artists.
Elsewhere, Gonwa also picked up “Achievement” awards for his shows “Bluesology,” which focuses on blues music, and “Sounds of Soul and Memories of Motown,” which features the best in classic soul/R&B tunes.
Two shows with connections to the Sun Prairie Public Library also took home “Achievement” awards – “The Tallest Building in Town,” a program produced by SPPL employees Steev Baker and Shauna Koszegi, as well as “My World and Welcome To It,” a show featuring discussions with a wide variety of authors hosted by writer and SPPL library board president Rex Owens.
Elsewhere, former volunteer producer Anthony Denu was recognized for several 103.5 shows, including “Good Morning Sun Prairie,” (which is now hosted five days a week from 7-9 AM by Bill Baker), the wrestling talk show “Schmozcast” (which still produces new episodes on Wednesday nights with a slightly-revised panel), and “Pop Culture Time Capsule,” which also still airs Sunday nights on 103.5 with (again) a slightly-revised panel of hosts.
John Quinlan won two “Achievement” awards for his KSUN TV program “Forward Forum,” in particular a talk with “We Are Staying” author Jen Rubin, as well as his 103.5 program “Community Conversations,” specifically a talk with author Pardeep Singh Kaleka.
James Kademan won a “Merit” award for “Authentic Business Adventures,” a 103.5 show that features interviews with local business leaders, and James Wyngaard won a “Merit” award for his play-by-play work for Sun Prairie High School baseball and softball.
SPMC director Jeff Robbins, who attended the conference and award ceremony, wasn’t surprised by the results. “We have the best community media producers around and I’m pleased that the judges of the Best of the Midwest Media Fest agree.”
“In fact,” continued Robbins, “I don’t doubt that SPMC programming would have won even more awards, but unfortunately submitting a program for an award carries a cost and not all of our dozens of producers are interested in paying to enter the competition. Our producers typically do what they do for the love of it and not necessarily to win awards.”
To be eligible for an award, a program must have been produced and/or distributed through the facilities of a community media center and premiered on a cable access channel, community radio station, or its website.
Want to be an award-winning community media producer? The Sun Prairie Media Center is currently looking for producers to take advantage of its awesome studio facilities and excellent staff. The SPMC is especially interested in anyone looking to produce a sports talk show, local news content, or video documentaries. Anyone interested should call 608-837-4193 or check out sunprairiemediacenter.com, where program ideas can be submitted directly to SPMC staff.
Episodes of SPMC’s award-winning programs can be accessed by going to sunprairiemediacenter.com, while past episodes of 103.5 shows can also be accessed on the free 103.5 FM app.