Kansas’ Longest Running Local History TV Program Celebrates Milestone KTWU’s SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS
Sharing Kansas Stories for 30 Years In 1987, public television station KTWU began to produce a series of programs related to Kansas history, geography and culture. Since then, each new season of SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS shares insights and stories that give viewers a connection with their past as it relates to their sense of place both in their communities and in Kansas. SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS’ all-new 30th season premieres with a special hour-long, double episode presentation on Thursday, October 5, 2017, at 8 p.m. on KTWU-HD (PBS), Digital Channel 11.
Currently broadcast throughout the state of Kansas, SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS covers a broad range of topics illustrating various aspects of the past, present and future of the Sunflower State. Bolstered by the ongoing support of the Kansas Humanities Council, the series draws upon the expertise of local scholars to provide thoughtful explorations of the state and its social, cultural and natural resources. Each year, KTWU produces a new series of programs for the SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS series. The programs primarily feature the insights of knowledgeable individuals who provide the expertise and experiences upon which the resulting stories are based. SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS has become a significant teaching tool over the years. Although the three segments of each program are designed to complement each other, they may also be viewed separately, which is desirable for classroom settings. One of SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS’ story-telling segments is the Emmy® award-winning “Plains People” featuring profiles of Kansans. The style is called point of view – a less formal technique where the camera captures the moments that happen outside the interview and the story is told from the individual’s perspective. Each “Plains People” brings real people narrating their own process, struggle or challenge. SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS is produced by KTWU. For over 50 years, KTWU has been broadcasting local public television in eastern Kansas and portions of Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma. The total potential audience for the station is over one million viewers. KTWU is the first public television station in the state of Kansas. For more information on KTWU, visit the online site at ktwu.org. More information on the SUNFLOWER JOURNEYS series is online at www.ktwu.org/SJ/. Online streaming of past episodes of the series can be viewed at watch.ktwu.org.
3012:Funky Locations & Events – Premieres on KTWU December 14th, 2017, 8pm
The term salvage yard usually suggests automobiles, but this Sunflower Journeys show starts with a salvage yard for airplanes in Rantoul, Kansas; we look at unusual items that are located in Kansas that appear on the National Register; and we go 4-wheeling with a look at the Kansas Rocks Recreational Park in Mapleton, Kansas.