Shows / This Is Nashville
This Is Nashville
This Is Nashville is a live one-hour daily show driven by community, for community. This flagship program of WPLN News will become your one-stop-shop for news in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, as we continue to show up each day.
Episodes
- This Is Nashville
Revisiting some of the pins we dropped around Middle Tennessee in 2022
It's a new year, and we've got big plans for 2023. But before we get the ball rolling on our first full year on the air, we want to take you ... back in time…
- This Is Nashville
Best of Nashville: Exploring what it means to be ‘Nashville nice’
The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We'll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy…
- This Is Nashville
Best of This Is Nashville: Ghost stories to send shivers down your spine
The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We'll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy…
- This Is Nashville
Best of This Is Nashville: Keeping our communities safe
The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We'll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy…
- This Is Nashville
Best of This Is Nashville: Looking at the changing face of country music and the Black Opry
The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We'll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy…
- This Is Nashville
Best of This Is Nashville: Bridging the gap between old and new Nashville
The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We'll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy…
- This Is Nashville
Celebrating Kwanzaa in Middle Tennessee
We're talking about Kwanzaa! This celebration of African American culture begins December 26 and ends January 1. Our host, Khalil Ekulona, is out of the office…
- This Is Nashville
What's next for the Metro Arts Commission?
Earlier this year, Metro Arts Commission Executive Director Caroline Vincent resigned amid allegations of tokenism, retaliation and a toxic work environment…
- This Is Nashville
Tackling tough topics during the holidays with family
School is out, the kids are home, and the holidays are here. For a lot of people, that means getting together with family, which can be … complicated. In this…
- This Is Nashville
Celebrating 60 years of WPLN!
On Saturday at 9:00 a.m., WPLN will officially turn 60 years old! Today, we're celebrating with past and present staff, former guests and listeners. We're…
- This Is Nashville
Checking in with Jad Abumrad
On today’s episode we check in with Jad Abumrad, creator and former host of Radiolab. Growing up in Nashville, he was eager to get away. But his podcast…
- This Is Nashville
Nashville's growing hospitality industry
Nashville’s hotels broke records this year. According to the Nashville Conventions and Visitors Corporation, this year’s CMA Fest ushered in the city’s…
- This Is Nashville
Remembering Nashville's streetcar era
Long before Nashville became a car-dependent city, streetcar lines crisscrossed the city. In this episode, we'll learn which neighborhoods developed because of…
- This Is Nashville
Living on the autism spectrum
Our understanding of autism has expanded and evolved since the developmental disorder was first described in the 1940s. Autism can impact how a person reads…
- This Is Nashville
Compiling a list of New Year’s resolutions for Nashville in 2023
It’s that time of year! Folks are starting to think about their resolutions for the new year, the things they want to change, the things they want to do…
- This Is Nashville
Celebrating soccer in the Latino community
Across the world it is known as futbol or, the beautiful game. Here in the states, we call it by another name – soccer. While the globe is focused on the World…
- This Is Nashville
The role of Black churches in Middle Tennessee
From Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement to the present day, Black churches in the American South have historically been vital centers of culture and…
- This Is Nashville
Is this the end of Twitter?
Since Twitter changed ownership in October, hundreds of employees have either been fired or elected to leave. Advertisers have walked away. Users have jumped…
- This Is Nashville
Keeda Haynes on her path to criminal justice reform advocacy
Keeda Haynes is a leading voice in criminal justice reform in Nashville. And she brings firsthand experience to her work, having spent nearly five years in…
- This Is Nashville
What's different for Nashville's performing arts scene this holiday season
It's the holiday season, the busiest time of year for Nashville's performing arts scene. In this episode, we're joined by musicians, vocalists and a…
- This Is Nashville
Hunting season in Middle Tennessee
So who is hunting these days? How do folks get started? What are the best tips for hunting ethically? We’ll talk to local wildlife officials and hunters about…
- This Is Nashville
Pandemic to pandemic: 41 years of AIDS
When the AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, it was a time of fear, panic, misinformation and deaths. Thought to be a “gay men’s disease” in those days, AIDS…
- This Is Nashville
The cost of food is on the rise. Here's how it's impacting Middle Tennessee.
As we head into the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to some delicious traditional dishes. But inflation means that preparing those meals could…
- This Is Nashville
Nashville's role in the slave trade
In 1860, more than 30% of Davidson County’s roughly 47,000 residents were enslaved. That’s nearly 15,000 people. As significant as those numbers are, they…
- This Is Nashville
The state of Nashville’s independent music venues
The This Is Nashville team is out for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are rebroadcasting an episode about Nashville's indie venues, which first aired in June…
- This Is Nashville
What is the National Day of Mourning?
In many Native American communities, the fourth Thursday in November is known as the National Day of Mourning instead of Thanksgiving. Instead of feasting with…
- This Is Nashville
Who are the Tennesseans who don’t vote?
Election season always get people talking about voter turnout, which tends to be pretty low in Tennessee. The state has consistently ranked in the bottom ten…
- This Is Nashville
On time with Nashville International Airport
As the busiest travel season of the year approaches, we check in on Nashville International Airport. From its origins as Berry Field to its current status as a…
- This Is Nashville
The growth of HBCU athletics
Historically Black colleges and universities have recently garnered national attention with legendary professional athletes becoming coaches, financial backers…
- This Is Nashville
Nashville's fierce drag culture
Nashville’s drag scene is thriving and as active as it’s ever been, from club shows, to brunches, to transportainment. It's also a scene with a history that…
- This Is Nashville
Walking a mile in Nashville's cowboy boots culture
Cowboy boots are a classic part of Western wear, but they have become an iconic part of Nashville fashion. How did they come to be so popular here, and how…
- This Is Nashville
The power of solar energy in Middle Tennessee
As the conversation about climate change continues, interest in sustainable energy is also expanding. In this episode, we’re focusing on solar energy and its…
- This Is Nashville
Margo Price on music, her memoir and making it in Nashville
Margo Price is a Grammy nominated artist who has studio three albums and an appearance on Saturday Night Live. However, the journey to country success in…
- This Is Nashville
Humming along with Nashville’s vibrant composing scene
Nashville has been drawing in musicians of all stripes for the better part of a century. Today, we’re talking about a growing part of the Nashville music…
- This Is Nashville
Rep. Jim Cooper on his 32 years in Congress and his decision to retire
This January, Representative Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, announced that he would be retiring from Congress after 32 years in office. Redistricting, which has…
- This Is Nashville
Jewish life in the buckle of the Bible Belt
Jewish communities have thrived in Nashville for more than a hundred years. While they may still be small in number compared to their Christian counterparts…
- This Is Nashville
Seeking treatment for addiction while pregnant
Last month, the Biden administration released a new report announcing that they will use federal courts and health programs to expand the use of medication to…
- This Is Nashville
Finding safe shelter for LGBTQ youth
A 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 28% of LGBTQ youth experienced homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives…
- This Is Nashville
Dropping in on our neighborhood dives
Out front, a neon sign flickers. Inside, the lights are dim. Folks are playing pool or swapping stories. And the drinks are cold and cheap. Yes, we’re talking…
- This Is Nashville
Dr. Jason Martin answers your questions ahead of the Tennessee governor race
Last month, This Is Nashville asked listeners to submit their questions for incumbent Gov. Bill Lee and Democratic candidate Dr. Jason Martin ahead of the…
- This Is Nashville
What does it mean to be white in Middle Tennessee?
What is does it mean to be white? How has whiteness developed in our region differently than in other parts of the United States? In this episode, we're…
- This Is Nashville
Celebrating Día de los Muertos in Nashville
Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is an important holiday honoring those who have come before us. While its origins are Aztec and Mesoamerican, it is…
- This Is Nashville
Nashville ghost stories to send shivers down your spine
Happy Halloween! This spookiest of holidays has changed a lot over the years, transforming from an ancient Celtic festival to a parade of adorable…
- This Is Nashville
The legacy of sculptor William Edmonson
World-renowned artist William Edmondson was self-taught. The son of formerly enslaved people, Edmondson was born and raised in Nashville, and after what he…
- This Is Nashville
Navigating the disability benefits system in Tennessee
Disability benefits can be absolutely vital for those who are eligible for them. These come in the form of Supplemental Security Income and Social Security…
- This Is Nashville
Checking in on Tennessee’s school voucher program
Expanding access to alternative forms of schooling is central to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s education plans. The Educational Savings Account Program gives…
- This Is Nashville
Meet Middle Tennessee's Laotian community
One of the largest Laotian communities in the United States is in Middle Tennessee. In this episode, we leave Nashville to meet the people of Laos who call…
- This Is Nashville
Preserving Tennessee’s traditional arts
Many of Tennessee’s traditional and folk art forms are carried on by small numbers of artisans. But since 2017, the Tennessee Arts Commission has been pairing…
- This Is Nashville
From woos to wedding bells: Nashville's wedding industry
Nashville is infamous for being a bachelorette paradise, but what about the "I dos"? In this episode, we talk to newlyweds about their experiences planning and…
- This Is Nashville
Foraging and preserving fall foods in Nashville
It’s fall, and that means it’s a great time to forage and preserve foods. As trees and plants prepare for winter themselves, there are nuts, berries and roots…
- This Is Nashville
The Children’s Memory Garden memorializes Nashville’s youngest victims of violence
Since 1996, a small corner of Centennial Park has memorialized children who died from violence. Last year, the Children’s Memorial Garden was redesigned and…
- This Is Nashville
Protests in Iran hit home for Nashville’s Iranian and Kurdish communities
Iran is experiencing massive protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, after she was taken into custody by the nation’s…
- This Is Nashville
The legacy of the Trail of Tears in Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Starting in October 1838, more than 16,000 Cherokee people who had been forced from their homes in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee began their…
- This Is Nashville
The next generation of music industry workers
Nashville has a higher concentration of music industry jobs than any other city in the country. So what are our public schools doing to train up the next…
- This Is Nashville
Celebrating the written word with the Southern Festival of Books
This weekend, the Southern Festival of Books returns for its 34th year. It’s also the first time back in person since 2019. This beloved institution has gone…
- This Is Nashville
The music, life and legacy of Loretta Lynn
County icon Loretta Lynn died October 4 at the age of 90. Born a coal miner's daughter in Butcher's Hollow, Kentucky, she was a fixture of Nashville's music…
- This Is Nashville
Rebroadcast: Exploring Middle Tennessee’s native roots and what it means to be indigenous
In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, This Is Nashville is rebroadcasting an episode about local indigenous communities. Nashville has a rich indigenous history…
- This Is Nashville
Hiking through Middle Tennessee
Fall is here and the weather is perfect for getting outside and exploring the parks, trails and greenways of Middle Tennessee. In today's episode, we're joined…
- This Is Nashville
The growth of LGBT-affirming churches
Around Nashville, more and more churches are becoming LGBTQ-affirming. According to the website Gay Church, affirming congregations — also known as reconciling…
- This Is Nashville
Driving toward a better bus system for Nashville
The past few years have not been easy for Nashville’s WeGo bus network. But behind the scenes, the agency has been trying to make progress on improvements that…