Nashville's local news and NPR station

Mack Linebaugh

Mack is the VP of Audience Engagement for WPLN News — but what does that even mean? In the past, this might have been called "programming." But with all due respect for the term, "programming" sounds a bit one-directional for today's world. We no longer simply program shows for our audience to consume. We engage with our audience across the platforms they use. We strive to have reciprocal dialog and reflect our community. Previously, Mack was the station's digital director, and he's worn a few other hats in his 20-year public radio career. Mack's a Nashville native, a musician, dad, tinkerer and explorer of too many disparate hobbies.

Curious Nashville: The Construction Boom Puppet Show

What happens when you adapt a podcast episode into a puppet show? Curious Nashville magic, that’s what. In May, we hosted a celebration of Nashville Public Radio’s podcasts — called Podcast Party (fittingly) — at the Nashville Children’s Theater. We teamed up with local puppeteers to produce a live animated version of one of our […]

Versify #4: It Is Not What Is Written On Your Tombstone

For much of her life, Ali Russell has been uncertain about religion. Even as a little girl, she’d ask her parents, “How do we know we’re worshiping the right God?” She even had a Jesus dream that still lingers with her today. In this episode, Ali shares her story to her longtime friend and Nashville […]

How The Insides Of Col. Tom Parker’s House Became A Stunning Portrait Of Elvis

In a portrait of a young Elvis Presley, painted by Nashville-area artist Wayne Brezinka, there’s something odd going on in that trademark pompadour — 40 years after the superstar’s death. The three-dimensional hair is striped with green, yellow, blue, red and white wires. Those wires were ripped from a 1950s-era phone system in the home and office […]

Movers & Thinkers #12: The Poet In The Family

We interview Tiana Clark, a poet from Nashville. Tiana has been tackling uncomfortable truths for years, ever since she wrote in her diary as a child that she hated her mom (who then discovered the writing). Now, she’s is a nationally lauded poet from Nashville who is the author of Equilibrium, a book of poetry […]

on-air light On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM