It was in the heart of the “stay-at-home" portion of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many of us, Dan Presser decided to use his extra time to do something he had been putting off. He wasn’t just cleaning out the basement. Dan was dusting off some old skills to create the Sun Prairie News program at the Sun Prairie Media Center (SPMC). Although, at first, he didn’t produce it at the Media Center.
“No, I didn’t start the show in my garage,” joked Presser. “But I did record the first dozen-or-so programs at my dining room table.” Presser had borrowed an iPad, a microphone, and a tripod from SPMC to record the show at home. Then, he’d edit the show together on his laptop and send it over to SPMC’s Mara Trusty to add the open and graphics.
Reporting, producing, anchoring and editing weren’t new for Presser. He had worked in the TV news business for 15 years. His last position was as the morning anchor for WKOW-TV in Madison, which he left in 2001.
Presser said getting back to creating a newscast, even a 6-minute newscast, took some getting used to. “It was a bit like riding a bike but the wheels were a bit flat and the chain needed some oil,” he said. “Thanks to the help from folks at the Media Center, we were able to get the bike tuned up.”
The idea to create a newscast didn’t come out of nowhere for Presser. He and Jeff Robbins, executive director of SPMC, had a number of discussions over the years about producing a TV news-style show. Both thought it’s an important piece of Community Media.
“Along with quality live high school sports productions, I think having a community news presence is crucial to the success of our media center or any media center,” said Robbins. “Sun Prairie News is the type of unique, relevant hyperlocal content that drives eyes and ears to our stations and our streams. And we are crazy lucky to have Dan doing it for us. He brings immediate professionalism, credibility, and all of the skills you need to put together a show like this. I’m immensely proud of it and I hope Dan is as well. It’s a phenomenal service to the community.”
Once the COVID-19 restrictions loosened, Presser began to record Sun Prairie News in the studio at SPMC. It has expanded to a 30-minute newscast, including live-recorded interviews with city staff and newsmakers, pre-recorded packages from volunteer reporters such as “Out and About” reporter Sandy Kintner, and movie reviews from volunteer critic Jamison Rabbit. Trusty directs and still adds graphics when necessary. She also came up with a virtual set and an open for the show.
“Mara, the rest of the staff at SPMC, and other volunteers really help give the show a professional look,” said Presser. “I feel fortunate to have their support and contributions. I think we all enjoy doing it and feel like it’s an important service to the community.”
