Back Channel Utah
Back Channel is a Utah politics, policy, and business podcast hosted by Marty Carpenter.
Every episode is a one-on-one conversation with someone who matters in Utah — an executive, a policymaker, a lobbyist, a community leader. Someone who's in the room when things happen.
The conversation has four parts: who they are before they're a title, the issue they're closest to right now, their read on what's happening in Utah, and a few lighter questions at the end. It's candid, it moves fast, and it doesn't sound like a press release.
Marty's been the one in the room too — as a governor's spokesman, his job was to take complex policy and make it clear, make it compelling, and keep it on message. That's still the job.
Back Channel. Off Script. On Record.
Back Channel Utah
Latest Episodes
Kirk Cullimore on the Leadership Race Already Underway in the Utah Senate
Kirk Cullimore, Utah Senate Majority Leader, shares the unexpected journey that took him from a career in music to one of Utah's top legislative leadership positions. He reflects on the lessons he learned through music, law, and public service,...
Relationships, Rural Utah, and Four Governors with Mike Mower
Mike Mower has spent decades serving Utah through multiple gubernatorial administrations, but ask him what has mattered most and the answer is simple: people.From growing up in Ferron to working alongside Governors Jon Huntsman Jr., Gary...
Stablecoins, AI, and Utah’s Banking Boom with Howard Headlee
In Episode 10 of Back Channel, Marty Carpenter sits down with Howard Headlee, President and CEO of the Utah Bankers Association, to talk about how deposits fuel lending, what stablecoins change, what the GENIUS Act is trying to solve, and how A...
BONUS: Lessons from Utah's Primary: When a Data Center Becomes a Political Crisis
Between interviews, Marty shares a quick bonus take.Utah’s primary results delivered a clear takeaway: political fallout isn’t always about the policy — it’s often about how the controversy is handled.The Stratos data center backl...
Collaboration, Economy, and Utah’s Secret Sauce with Derek Miller
Derek Miller — President & CEO of the Utah Chamber and former Chief of Staff to Governor Gary Herbert — joins Back Channel to talk about what it takes to keep Utah strong as the state grows. The conversation covers the fundamentals...
