The Sun Prairie Media Center (SPMC) is excited to be unveiling a new video channel, set to launch on TDS and all of SPMC’s streaming platforms on September 1, 2023. The channel, called “KSUN Life,” will focus on non-live original programming created by SPMC’s diverse stable of community producers. Programs featured on the new channel will include “Talk of the Town,” “Reel Reviews,” “Weekly Chat,” “Marc Carstens Sports,” “Roundabout Sun Prairie,” and many others.
Though sports will not be the sole focus of the new channel, the origins for “KSUN Life” began way back when it was revealed that the SPASD would have a new high school and new high school athletic teams. “The immediate concern was how we were going to air two live football games happening simultaneously,” remembered SPMC director Jeff Robbins. “That’s when talk of adding a second channel began.”
For the 2022-2023 school year, most weeks the SPMC split up the football games with the home team’s game airing on KSUN with the away football game airing on KIDS-4. SPMC staff knew that wasn’t a long-term solution, however. “We really don’t like using KIDS-4 to show non-KIDS-4 programming,” said Robbins. “KIDS-4 is a unique channel devoted to programming created by kids and we don’t like to compromise why that channel was created over forty years ago.”
With member-created programming on “KSUN Life,” the current “KSUN” channel will be rebranded as “KSUN Now” and will shift its focus almost completely to live programming (or reruns of programming originally aired live) and regularly-updated news and information programs that are non-opinionated in nature like “Sun Prairie News” and “Inside Your City.” Live programming includes sports, city meetings, and school board meetings. Coverage of church services, a current popular aspect of KSUN, will remind a Sunday staple on “KSUN Now.”
“KSUN Life” will be available in HD on TDS channel 985 and also available to stream on sunprariemediacenter.com, and on the SPMC Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV channels. “KSUN Life” will also be available on the SPMC’s mobile app, which is in the process of an upgrade set to launch in mid-September. Access to on-demand programming will not change and will continue to be available online, on the app, and on all of SPMC’s streaming platforms.
Effective September 1, when there are competing football games, typically the Sun Prairie team at home will have their game on “KSUN Now” with the Sun Prairie team on the road featured on “KSUN Life.” Viewers are encouraged to check schedules at sunprairiemediacenter.com or in the Sun Prairie Star.
“We are very excited about the launch of this new channel,” said Robbins. “This growth reflects the growth of Sun Prairie and its school district and reflects the large amount of originally-produced programming created at and for the Sun Prairie Media Center.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Sun Prairie Media Center financially or through originally-produced programming is encouraged to contact the SPMC at staff@sunprairiemediacenter.com or by calling 608-837-4193.