The Big Dig podcast goes nationwide with the “Highway Teardown Tour”

GBH launched The Big Dig podcast's "Highway Teardown Tour" this week, a nationwide extension of its first season focusing on urban highway infrastructure. The tour will visit eleven cities including Seattle, Portland, Austin, and New York City. Unlike the original documentary-style episodes, each new installment is a recording of a live event hosted by a local public radio station. During these events, host Ian Coss and a local reporter discuss their city's highway issues and feature guests to explore potential solutions. This format shift aims to engage local communities and leverage existing public radio station networks. GBH, a Boston-based public radio station, initially released The Big Dig in 2023, which explored Boston's complex Big Dig project. The podcast achieved significant success, appearing on Apple's top 100 podcasts list for several weeks and earning spots on year-end best-of lists. Following this success, GBH produced two additional seasons, delving into topics such as the Massachusetts Lottery and the "Codfather." The "Highway Teardown Tour" represents a return to the podcast's foundational subject matter but with a new, interactive approach. An innovative revenue-sharing model allows host stations to retain ticket sales and gain sponsorship opportunities from event recordings before they are released on The Big Dig's feed.