Alaska Teen Media Institute

Our July show highlights an event that our producer Kaylee LaTocha put on called Letters To America, plus spotlights local and national music. We end the show with a commemoration to America's 250th birthday by having our hosts (and Nathan) devour as many hot dogs as they can while answering a civics superpower questionnaire from Kaylee.  Hosts: Sadona Holm and Persephone Bearchum News/Events: Nat...

Our Film Club roundtables are back with a discussion on the new horror sensation Backrooms. It tells the story of Clark, a disgruntled furniture store owner who discovers a portal into another dimension in the basement of his store. When Clark goes missing, his therapist, Mary, goes looking for him, and ventures into the liminal space we know as Backrooms. The Backrooms phenomenon goes all the way...

James Dommek Jr. is an Inupiaq podcaster, documentary filmmaker, and storyteller, originally from Kotzebue, Alaska. He’s best known for his true crime podcast Midnight Son, which he also adapted into a series on Hulu called Blood and Myth.  While he is known for these dark stories of crime and violence, Dommek Jr. decided to show another side of himself and his ancestry at an event called Inupiaq...

Our June show features a live interview with the house mother of Anchorage's first kiki house, a preview of an upcoming podcast interview with storyteller James Dommek Jr., and trivia about Pride month. Plus News and Events from two new producers. Hosts: Nathan Pobieglo and Wren Crockett News: Persephone Bearchum Events: Sadona Holm Board-ops: Charlie Groat and Kyle Smith Producer: Kaylee LaTocha...

On April 24th and 25th, Nick Carpenter, better known by his band name Medium Build, played four shows at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub. They were billed as Takeaways Town Halls, intimate, acoustic seated shows with stories, requests, new music, and that raw energy only Nick can bring to the stage. He was supported by openers Ken Yates and Whale Songz. On that Saturday afternoon, just before the second...

May is Mental Health Awareness month, so we centered our show around that. We chatted with Charlene Aqpik Apok, the founder and executive director of Data For Indigenous Justice (12:27) about the work the organization is doing. ATMI producers Mo Spooner and Rhys James sat down with Nick Carpenter of Medium Build to talk about his recent shows at Bear Tooth (27:21). And we rounded the show out with...

For our April radio show, we kick things off with an interview with Dyani Chapman, the State Director of Alaska Environment Action, about the work her organization is doing to protect the natural world (06:12). We also have a chat with Christine Dittrich, the Vice President of the Anchorage Weavers and Spinners Guild about some upcoming workshops they're hosting (22:25). We finish things up with a...

Our March show starts off with an interview with Gwyneth Eggleston, a youth ambassador with the Anchorage Assembly, about a resolution passed to encourage youth voting (06:52). Then we chat with Kass Smiley and Ida Taylor about the B4UDIE Comedy Festival happening in cities across Alaska from March 26th through April 4th, and they joke about their big "sponsor," which appears not to acknowledge th...

Our February show features interviews with the local youth nonprofit Trajectory Youth Initiatives, a UAF student who was arrested for eating AI-generated artwork, and a filmmaker whose work was featured in our annual youth film screening.  Hosts: Jay St. John and Deacon Laurance Producer: Kaylee LaTocha This episode originally aired on KNBA 90.3 FM on February 7, 2026.

Margi Clifford is a body-based psychotherapist who founded the practice Yoga For Mental Health. She and her other practitioners bring together the art of mindful movement and the science of mental health to nurture resilience, awaken potential, and support sustainable well-being.  She has been doing this work for over twenty years. ATMI producer Olivia Okeahialam sat down with Margi to talk about...

Our first show of 2026 features interviews with a young Alaskan stop-motion animation filmmaker, the producer of the horror film "Shelby Oaks," and the executive director of the nonprofit organization Alaskans Take a Stand. Hosts: Kaylee LaTocha and Deacon Laurance News: Kaylee LaTocha Events: Max McCambridge Producer: Quinn White Board-op: Logan Ehrhart This episode originally aired on KNBA 90.3...

Shelby Oaks is a new horror film written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Chris Stuckmann. It tells the story of a woman determined to find her sister who goes missing while investigating a mysterious abandoned town. It stars Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Brendan Sexton III, and Keith David. It was executive produced by Mike Flanagan, who’s known for directing Stephen King adaptations...

Our December show is a double-sized end of the year special!  On Saturday December 6th, we spoke with filmmakers from the Anchorage International Film Festival to talk about their work, two different local theater productions, and the organizers for an alternative music festival in Anchorage. Playwright Kristen Ritter and actress Danielle Rabinovitch spoke about their play Overland! which tells th...

Our November show features an interview about the intersection of traditional Alaska Native dancing and mental health, an interview with one of the youth filmmakers who had a short film in last year's After School Special, and a preview of another podcast we helped produce with our friends at the Youth Alliance For a Healthier Alaska. Hosts: Wren Crockett and Jay St. John Show Producer: Quinn Whit...

In this episode, we’re talking with local noise punk band Tiny. Members Noah Bemben, Rebel Barnes, Isabel Nassar, and Austen Utterback have been playing music together in different iterations for years. In 2024, Tiny released their debut album Kill on Sight, while they were all still in high school. ATMI producer Rhys James sat down with all four band members at our studio to talk about their musi...

Our August show features interviews with two very different local musicians (Grace C. Elliot and Tiny), plus an interview about the 50th anniversary of the municipality of Anchorage, and a check-in with a former ATMI producer currently reporting for a radio station in rural Alaska. Hosts: Indigo Schlee and Rhys James Events: Michael Hunter Show Producer: Kaylee LaTocha This episode originally aire...

Grace C. Elliot is an Anchorage-based musician who describes her music as dream pop with influences of blues and jazz. In 2020, she released her debut self-titled album. Earlier this year, she released a new single called "Alive." She's had a busy summer, playing shows all over the state, including the Forest Fair in Gridwood, a free concert in Town Square Park, and Rock The Hill, an all-ages musi...

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 Jorda...

May is Mental Health Awareness month and the focus of this episode. Four of our producers participated in the #SpeakYourMind Ice Bucket challenge, live on the radio! We also have an interview with Annie Ferry, the executive director of NAMI Anchorage, a review of the movie "Sinners" from ATMI producer Cat Whited, and filled out the hour with local music from our archive. Hosts: Kaylee LaTocha and...

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...

In our last episode, ATMI producers Cat Whited, Mo Spooner, and Elle Engel discussed the 2025 Oscar nominations. Now that the awards have been handed out, they’re back to talk about the results. They discuss the big award winners, their thoughts on Conan O’Brien as the host for the night, and whether they think the Oscars in general reflect their taste in movies. Hosted and produced by Indigo Schl...

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 Ke...

Singer/Songwriter Emma Hill has been in the Anchorage music scene for almost two decades. Originally from the village of Sleetmute, Emma is also a co-owner of Rage City Vintage and hosts the all-ages songwriter showcase Spenard Song Circle.  In August, Emma hosted “Eras of Anchorage: An art exhibit honoring the history of the Anchorage music scene.” It featured photography, posters, and audio reco...

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...

The Mat-Su School District made headlines last fall when they voted to severely limit the student representative position on the school board. Ben Kolendo, a senior at Mat-Su Career & Tech High School in Wasilla, held the seat at the time.  Then this summer, the school board voted to entirely remove the position, which dates back to 1979.  ATMI producer Edison Wallace Moyer sat down in the stu...