NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — This is “must-see TV” not only for Tennessee politics junkies, but also for everyday viewers who just want answers from state and local leaders.
“Inside Politics with Pat Nolan” airs every Friday on NewsChannel 5 Plus. There, Mr. Nolan, a longtime political analyst, brings together leading news outlets to discuss and debate big issues.
The program is now also available as a podcast, allowing it to reach a wider audience.
I sat down with Nolan to talk about the podcast and his past.
He has hosted the popular weekly interview show since 2006. Before that, it was titled “Inside This Week With Chris Clark.” Mr. Clark was responsible for first hiring Mr. Nolan as a news reporter in 1975…Nolan remembers that day well.
“One day Chris Clark called me at the station there and said, 'Have you ever thought about being on TV? And I never thought he'd ask me that. So I said, 'Yeah,'” Nolan explains.
He stayed for 10 years, then held various jobs in Nashville, including working at another television station, working for Mayor Richard Fulton in the late 1980s, and eventually landing a job in public relations. did.
Mr. Nolan returned to NewsChannel 5 in 1999 as a part-time legal analyst. As Mr. Clark prepared for his retirement in 2007, management asked Mr. Nolan if he would take over the weekly show.
He told me that at first he wasn't sure if he was qualified.
“I'd done interviews before, but I'd never done an ongoing show like this when I was a reporter. I didn't think my interviewing skills were that good. But she… [late NewsChannel 5 Plus Executive Producer May Dean Eberling] I thought I could do very well. So I took over the program. We changed its name to “Internal Politics.” ”
Eighteen years later, the show is one of Nashville's “favorite” political talk shows and has an impressive track record of attracting big-time newsmakers.
“I'm proud to say that since I took over the show, and since I've been on the show so many times, we've had every mayor. We've had every governor since. Almost every one that's been here. members of Congress and the Senate,” Pat said.
His most memorable interview was in 2018. A face-to-face conversation with the former Nashville mayor who was in the midst of a personal and political crisis.
“So when Megan Barry was going through a difficult time, she gave her first in-depth interview about her scandal,” Pat explained. “That was probably the toughest interview I've ever had, considering what was going on at the time.”
Inside Politics is now also a podcast, with a new audio version uploaded to all major platforms every Friday night.
Director Nolan said he looks forward to bringing these important discussions to a wider audience.
“I think there's an ability to be found behind the soundbites and behind the headlines,” Nolan said, “so that people can see what's going on and be behind it and know a little bit more about it. I want to do it,” he said. Because very few shows can air 22 minutes of newsmakers in one episode. ”
Podcast episodes are dropped weekly. There are already some online. Search “Inside Politics Nashville” on all major platforms. You can also sign up to receive notifications when new episodes come online.
