About Us
A locally owned multimedia company based in the Mat-Su Valley, Alaska
What started as a grassroots music festival in 2006 has grown into a wide-reaching local media operation — publishing The People’s Paper and Make A Scene Magazine, operating 95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM, supporting community events, and providing creative, advertising, and media services to businesses, nonprofits, artists, and organizations across the Valley. Through it all, the mission has stayed the same: helping local people be seen, heard, promoted, and connected.
History
2002
Josh Fryfogle Moves to Alaska
MAKE A SCENE Media’s story begins with founder Josh Fryfogle, a musician who moved to Alaska from Mississippi in August 2002. Josh became part of the local music and creative scene, bringing with him a passion for live performance, songwriting, community gathering, and creative expression.
Before there was a magazine, newspaper, radio station, or full-service media company, there was a simple idea: local people needed more places to gather, perform, share ideas, and be part of something happening in their own community.
2006
MAKE A SCENE Begins with Music in the Park
MAKE A SCENE Media was technically established in 2006 with the first Make A Scene Music Fest, the event that would ultimately become Music in the Park. What started as a local music festival grew into a long-running community concert series in conjunction with the City of Wasilla.
That first event planted the seed for everything that followed: live music, local artists, community gathering, youth-friendly creative spaces, and the belief that local talent deserved a place to be seen and heard. Make A Scene was never just a name. It was a call to action.
2007
Make A Scene Magazine Launches
In May 2007, the first edition of Make A Scene Magazine was published. The magazine focused on local music, art, entertainment, events, small businesses, and creative culture in Alaska.
From the beginning, Make A Scene Magazine was free, local, and built around participation. It was not just a publication about the community. It was a publication made with the community. Local musicians, artists, writers, businesses, event organizers, and everyday Alaskans had a place to promote what they were doing and share what mattered to them.
2009
Bryce Burkhart First Joins Make A Scene
Bryce Burkhart, born and raised in Alaska, first worked with Make A Scene in 2009, during a time when the company was still grassroots, creative, and constantly evolving. Like many parts of the company’s story, his role grew naturally through the work itself, including publication support, events, design, local promotion, client projects, and whatever else needed to happen to keep the scene moving. In 2012, Bryce returned to Make A Scene full-time and became increasingly involved in the company’s daily operations, with his work expanding across print production, advertising, design workflow, client communication, event support, sales, bookkeeping, websites, radio, and general management. Today, Bryce serves as General Manager and Production Manager, helping oversee MAKE A SCENE Media’s day-to-day work across print, radio, web, social media, design, advertising, events, audio, video, and client services.
2014
The People’s Paper Is Born
As Make A Scene Magazine grew, the mission expanded beyond music, art, and entertainment. In 2014, MAKE A SCENE Media launched The People’s Paper, a free broadsheet community newspaper written by the community.
The People’s Paper was built around a simple but powerful idea: local people should have access to local media. Residents, nonprofits, businesses, artists, advocates, organizations, and community members could submit articles, opinions, announcements, photos, event info, and ideas.
The People’s Paper became a go-to open community forum for the Mat-Su Valley and beyond. It remains rooted in community participation, freedom of expression, and public access to media.
2014 & Beyond
Make A Scene Magazine Becomes Part of The People’s Paper
As The People’s Paper grew, Make A Scene Magazine continued as the arts, music, and entertainment section inside the larger community newspaper.
This allowed Make A Scene Magazine to keep its original creative identity while The People’s Paper grew into a broader publication for community voices, local stories, small businesses, nonprofits, events, opinions, announcements, and public conversation.
Together, The People’s Paper and Make A Scene Magazine became a unique local media platform: part newspaper, part arts magazine, part events calendar, part public forum, and part community bulletin board.
2015
95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM Hits the Air
95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM, also known as Hatcher Pass Radio, was founded in 2015. The station built its own identity as a local, community-minded radio station serving the Mat-Su Valley with music, community announcements, and a personality that felt different from larger corporate stations.
Before MAKE A SCENE Media owned the station, 95.5 The Pass was already a friend and media partner of Make A Scene and The People’s Paper. It was our favorite local station, and it was already building a name for community engagement.
2019
MAKE A SCENE Media acquired 95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM
In 2019, MAKE A SCENE Media acquired 95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM. The acquisition brought print, radio, events, advertising, creative services, and community outreach together under one local roof.
Rather than changing the station’s identity, MAKE A SCENE Media continued the legacy 95.5 The Pass had already started. The station remained locally owned, music-focused, community-minded, and connected to the people, businesses, nonprofits, artists, and events of the Mat-Su Valley.
This was a major turning point for the company. MAKE A SCENE Media could now help people get the word out through newspapers, magazines, radio, websites, social media, video, live events, and direct community engagement.
2019
Music in the Park Comes Full Circle
In 2019, MAKE A SCENE Media also took over Music in the Park full-time in conjunction with the City of Wasilla. The event had grown out of the same spirit that launched Make A Scene back in 2006, making it more than just another event on the calendar.
Music in the Park is MAKE A SCENE Media’s marquee event, and in many ways, our baby. It brings together live music, local vendors, sponsors, families, artists, and the community in the same spirit that started the company in the first place.
While MAKE A SCENE Media works on a variety of community events, Music in the Park remains the clearest example of what the company has always tried to do: create a space where music, business, community, creativity, and local connection all come together.
2020 & Beyond
Growing Into a Full-Service Media Shop
After acquiring 95.5 The Pass and taking over Music in the Park full-time, MAKE A SCENE Media continued expanding into a broader local media and marketing company.
Today, the company offers radio advertising, newspaper advertising, magazine advertising, social media ad campaigns, website design, website support, graphic design, logo design, brand development, print materials, flyers, posters, banners, brochures, rack cards, postcards, commercial writing, ghostwriting, audio production, commercial voiceovers, music recording, music booking, commercial video production, event video, social media video, event promotion, event planning, event coordination, sponsorship packages, live music support, sound engineering, MC services, on-location broadcasts, media strategy, marketing consultation, and connected local referrals.
The company’s growth has been steady and practical. Services were added because local clients, events, artists, and organizations needed them.