Alaska Teen Media Institute

Our July show highlights two all-ages music festivals happening this month. ATMI producer Nathan Pobieglo speaks with members of the band Blackwater Railroad Company about organizing Hatcher Romp, and with members of the Anchorage Concert Association about Rock The Hill. Plus there's news, events, and music from local musicians who are performing at those festivals. Hosts: Madison Dooley and Jordan Kehl News: Ver Events: Micahel Hunter Producer: Kaylee LaTocha This episode originally aired on KNBA 90.3 FM on July 5, 2025.

The Anchorage Daily News is the most widely read newspaper in Alaska. When journalists are writing a news story, photos can be just as important as the stories themselves. ADN staff photographer Marc Lester has been working with the paper for over 25 years taking photos for news, sports, feature stories, and standalone pictures of nature in Alaska. ATMI producer Micheal Hunter sat down with Marc to talk about his work. They discuss Marc’s early days as a photographer, some of the standout moments in his career, and his advice for budding journalists. Hosted by Xander Rose. Written and produced by Taylor Heckart. Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. This episode was made possible with funding from Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

It's award season, so it's time to talk about the 2025 Oscar Nominations! ATMI producers Cat Whited, Mo Spooner, and Elle Engel sat down to go through some of the main Oscar categories. They talked about what they think will win versus what they hope will win, shine a light on movies that were not nominated, and their favorite films and performances of last year. Hosted by Eleanor Poe. Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. Film Club was made possible with funding from the Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. With additional support from the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism Fund at the Alaska Community Foundation. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

This episode, we’re talking to local Alaskan band SunDog. The trio is composed of guitarist/singer Abi Sparkman, bassist Devin Lind, and drummer Philip Giannulis. Their music has been described as psychedelic, pop-grunge, and classic-rock inspired. Their third album “About You” came out on September 25th, and they celebrated the release with a concert at Bear Tooth a few days later. ATMI producer Kaylee LaTocha sat down with SunDog to talk about the formation of the band, Anchorage’s music scene, and break down the themes of “About You”. Click the links to see SunDog perform their songs "Spinning Out" "Fading Flower" and "Out of Place" in the ATMI studio. Hosted by Ormund Alaois. Written by Taylor Heckart. Music by Devin Shreckengost and Kendrick Whiteman. Special thanks to Mike Dickenson at Williwa for graciously lending us some audio gear, and to Jeremy Blake at King Technical High School for his added mentorship. Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

If you’ve been downtown at all this summer, you might have noticed one less lane of traffic on a couple of busy streets. Anchorage now has a protected bike lane running along parts of A Street and 6th Avenue. This bike lane won’t be there forever – just for the summer– but this protected bike lane is part of a larger two-year study funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill. In this episode, we’re hearing from the project leads. ATMI producer Taylor Heckart sat down in the studio with Brad Coy, the director of the Traffic Engineering Department at the Municipality of Anchorage, and Anna Bosin, the Regional Traffic Safety Engineer for the Department of Transportation for the State of Alaska. They talked about the massive collaboration required to make this project happen, the benefits that protected bike lanes could bring to the community, and what it means to build infrastructure with non-motorized users in mind. Hosted by Grace Fujimoto. Produced and written by Taylor Heckart. Music by Devin Shreckengost and Kendrick Whiteman. Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

Emilio Miguel Torres is a filmmaker who was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. As a kid, Torres got involved with the local community theater, First City Players, where he was exposed to directing and storytelling. He spent high school in Seattle before attending NYU film school. Since graduating college in 2021, he has made a handful of short films, including “The Ladder,” which tells the story of an aging Alaskan fisherman who must decide between accepting old age and restarting his life through a futuristic procedure. It was shot in Ketchikan with the help of many of the individuals who helped foster his love of movies as a kid. Torres currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, but in the fall of 2023, he returned again to his hometown to shoot his first feature film, an expansion of “The Ladder.” Currently the film is in post-production and Torres has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finish his movie. ATMI producer Jordan Kehl spoke with Torres over Zoom about “The Ladder.” He talked about the challenges of filming in the remote town of Ketchikan, what he hopes to accomplish with the crowdfunding campaign, and how his hometown community came together to help him with his passion project. Hosted by Ormund Alaois. Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.