These are all nudges intended to push the dial in a slightly different direction in the hopes that the course will be changed more drastically in the long-term.
While automotive electronics have come a long way from the days of push button radios (I still mourn the disappearance of the dial knob), unlike other mobile devices the car remains a largely app free environment.
And the more people who tune in for things like the Lance Armstrong interview, the more people will become aware of the network (and where it is on the dial), and of course they can use those big shows to push lesser known series.