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After an odd year in college sports, when schools played a modified season or no season at all due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes and their fans are eager to get back in the game. One TV station group is capitalizing on the excitement by introducing a new podcast that will both expand the company’s digital footprint and promote diversity.
Last month, TEGNA-owned Locked On started the Locked On HBCU podcast, which covers historically Black colleges and universities’ (HBCUs) sports, athletes and culture. There are 107 HBCUs, but the podcast focuses on the top conferences. Hosted by Reggie Flood, a well-known New Orleans radio sportscaster, the daily podcast also features TEGNA local TV news correspondents and anchors who cover or attended an HBCU.
The Locked On Podcast Network started in 2016 with a single podcast about the Utah Jazz and has since expanded to more than 175 podcasts covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, major college teams, fantasy sports and sports betting, with over 80 million downloads in 2020. TEGNA purchased Locked On last January.
Locked On HBCU is the first daily podcast devoted exclusively to HBCUs. “The podcast started from “a combination of a few forces,” president and founder of the Locked On Podcast Network David Locke said. “One, the natural expansion of our college programming. Two, I think there’s been an increased interest in HBCU programming… [Three], a lot of our markets match HBCU markets.”
Locked On HBCU also opens a new page in TEGNA’s