HOV Lane Ahead - The Big Dig Presents: Catching The Codfather

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: The Big Dig – "HOV Lane Ahead" (January 28, 2026)
Host: Ian Coss, GBH News

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Big Dig, host Ian Coss pivots from storytelling about monumental infrastructure and political drama to a direct engagement with listeners. He shares a personal story about a commemorative "Big Dig" hat and leverages its symbolism to introduce and encourage support for the show's new membership initiative: the "Big Dig HOV Lane." Throughout the episode, Ian lays out the benefits and vision for this membership, while reflecting on the broader value of public media in supporting in-depth, nuanced stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Red Hat Story – A Symbol for the Podcast Community

Ian recounts buying a commemorative hat from the opening of the Big Dig tunnel, found online for $40 (00:00).
- "If you want to picture the color, we're talking like a red MAGA hat, but this one has the logo for Interstate 93 and on either side of that, the words Opening March 2003." (00:07)
The hat becomes a metaphor for both nostalgia and community connection within the podcast.

2. The Big Dig Podcast: Looking Forward

Ian hints at exciting new developments for The Big Dig:
- Announcement of Season 3 is just days away.
- Production for Season 4 is already in progress.
- Plans for a multi-city live taping tour are underway.
- Emphasis on building an engaged community of listeners.

3. The HOV Lane Membership Program

Ian formally introduces "The Big Dig HOV Lane," the show’s new membership program (02:20).
The HOV Lane is described as “more of a club” than a simple subscriber benefit—a space for connection, behind-the-scenes access, and exclusive perks.
The annual cost: $25 (less than the hat he bought), and the aim is to make it a "bargain."

4. Three-Point Pitch for Joining the HOV Lane

a. Early Access and Exclusive Episodes

Members get early/binge access to new seasons, ad-free.
Occasional exclusive episodes, though core content remains free for all.
- "You'll be able to binge the whole thing right away as soon as the trailer drops, and it will be entirely ad free." (03:04)

b. Special Events & Community Engagement

Virtual Zoom call with the production team after Season 3 wraps, for Q&A, feedback, and previews.
A virtual listening party, co-hosted with musician Eli Paperboy Reid, featuring a playlist themed around highways and gambling.
Annual in-person Boston meetup: a picnic and walk atop the park that now sits above the former Big Dig tunnel.
- "Picture it. Getting together with a whole bunch of other Big Dig listeners on top of the Big Dig. And this is where the bright red hat comes in so you can find me." (04:48)

c. Supporting Public Media

Emphasizes the necessity and value of public media in producing independent, in-depth series like The Big Dig.
- "This show is expensive. It's time consuming. It's taking on the, the wonky, the forgotten and overlooked corners of public life." (05:32)
Ian draws a parallel: if the show is worth as much to the listener as the hat was to him, support is worthwhile.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the membership program’s spirit:
- "I like to think of it as more of a club, personally. A place to build community around this show." — Ian Coss (01:32)
On public media’s role:
- "…public media, which I believe, and I really believe this very strongly, that is the only way a show like this gets made in the first place." — Ian (05:10)
Invitation to join:
- "The traffic is light, the company is good, and I promise you we will go so much farther together than I can ever possibly go on my own." — Ian (05:45)
On how to spot the host at in-person events:
- "I'll be the tall guy in the red i93 hat." — Ian (06:13)

Timeline of Important Segments

00:00–01:30 — Story about the red Big Dig commemorative hat and upcoming podcast plans.
01:30–02:20 — Introduction to the HOV Lane membership concept.
02:20–05:45 — Ian’s three-point pitch, covering early access & exclusives, special events, and supporting public media.
05:45–06:13 — Final encouragement to join and sign-off.

Tone & Language

Ian maintains an earnest, informal, and engaging tone throughout, balancing personal anecdotes with clear calls to action. His passion for both the podcast’s subject matter and its listener community is evident, making the pitch feel like a heartfelt invitation rather than a hard sell.

Summary for New Listeners:
This episode serves as both a behind-the-scenes update and a spirited invitation to become part of The Big Dig’s evolving listener community via the HOV Lane membership. With early access, exclusive content, special events, and opportunities to connect in person, the show’s aim is to build a vibrant, interactive audience—bolstered by a shared investment in public media and storytelling about the often-overlooked corners of American life.

Transcript

A (0:00)

So a couple weeks ago, a friend texted me a link to a Facebook Marketplace listing for a bright red baseball hat. If you want to picture the color, we're talking like a red MAGA hat, but this one has the logo for Interstate 93 and on either side of that, the words Opening March 2003. That of course, is the opening date for the Big Dig Tunnel underneath downtown Boston, the subject of our first season and the story that launched this whole podcast. This was one of the commemorative hats that they gave out to the actual contractors on opening day. And here it was for $40. I managed to talk the seller down a little bit, but let's be honest, I was going to buy that hat no matter what, and I wanted this hat because I have a specific use in mind for it. This is going to take a minute to explain, but we'll get there. The thing you need to know is that this is going to be a very busy year for our podcast. We are just days away now from announcing our third season, but we are already hard at work on the fourth season while also at the same time finalizing the dates for a multi city tour of live tapings. So all of that is coming soon. But I want to kick off the year with an invitation to join our membership program. I like to think of it as more of a club, personally. A place to build community around this show. A place where you can get a peek behind the scenes of what we're working on and of course access some members only perks. It's called the Big Dig HOV Lane and you can sign up right now for the whole year with a donation of $25, which I will add is less than what I paid for that red i93 hat. So my goal now is to make that $25 donation feel like an absolute bargain. Like you are getting every bit as much joy and connection and inspiration out of the HOV lane as I am getting from my hat, which is a lot. So here's my pitch. I'm going to get it to you in three points. First point, if you're in the HOV lane, you get early access to our episodes. That means every time we release a new documentary season, you'll be able to binge the whole thing right away as soon as the trailer drops, and it will be entirely ad free. Occasionally there will also be exclusive episodes that only drop in the HOV feed, but we'll keep those pretty rare because we want the core of the show to always be accessible for everyone. Second point, we're going to start doing special events for HOV members. I'm very excited about this and I've got a few planned already that I'll just mention briefly. So right around when season three wraps up, we'll set up a zoom call with our whole production team. So not just me, it'll be our producer, our editor, and it'll be a chance where you can meet us, learn about our process, you can pitch us your own ideas for stories, and also get a preview of what we're working on next. Then this summer, I'm planning to do a special virtual listening party where I team up with the amazing musician and record collector Eli Paperboy Reid to cook up a special Big Dig themed playlist of all our favorite songs about highways and gambling. That one's gonna be super fun and you'll be able to listen along live as we tape that. And finally, for those of you who can make it to the Boston area, the HOV Lane will do an annual in person meetup. This year, it will be a picnic and walk along the park that sits above the Big Dig tunnel where the highway used to be. I mean, this is going to be awesome. Just picture it. Getting together with a whole bunch of other Big Dig listeners on top of the Big Dig. And this is where the bright red hat comes in so you can find me. Okay, so that is all in the event bucket just in the next year. The third and final point of the pitch is hopefully easy to explain. This is a way for you to support public media, which I believe, and I really believe this very strongly, that is the only way a show like this gets made in the first place. Public media. This show is expensive. It's time consuming. It's taking on the, the wonky, the forgotten and overlooked corners of public life. And if that is worth to you what this novelty baseball hat is worth to me, then come on over, join us in the HOV lane. The traffic is light, the company is good, and I promise you we will go so much farther together than I can ever possibly go on my own. All right, that's the pitch. If you want to sign up, just head to wgbh.org hovlane the trailer for season three drops right here next week. So stay tuned and I really, I really look forward to seeing some of you in the HOV lane. I'll be the tall guy in the red i93 hat, so take care more soon.