April 21, 2026 • 8 mins
It’s been about a year since we’ve been in your ears, and we’re so excited to share some news! Coming May 7, this feed will be the new home of the Radio 831 podcast: Your weekly dose of all things romance. It’s a production of iHeartPodcasts hosted by Sanjana Basker and Tyler McCall, two brilliant, funny, knowledgeable people we love having in our ears.
It’s a half-hour show that we like to think of as the SportsCenter of smut: the audio companion to our romantic fiction publishing company 831 Stories that delves into everything from why certain subgenres are having a moment—hello, cowboys!—to what’s happening in the Jane Austen Verse.
Also, while we have you, we figured we’d take the opportunity to share some of the things that have made us wish we still had a podcast over these last 12 months. Butter bust, wild brand websites, an emotional phone call, and sausage-race innovation await!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh Hi, this is Erica and this is Claire, and
we are back, but only very briefly, to tell you
about something new that is hitting this feed in the
next few weeks, and to tell you a few things
we've really missed being able to share with you over
the last years since we've popped up.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Coming May seventh, this feed will be the new home
of the Radio eight three one podcast, your weekly dose
of all things romance. It's a production of iHeart Podcasts,
hosted by Sin John Ombasker and Tyler McCall to brilliant, funny,
knowledgeable people who we love having in our ears and
in our lives.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It is a half hour show that we like to
think of as the sports center of smut. It's sort
of the audio companion to our romantic fiction publishing company
eight three one stories that you, hopefully by now maybe
know about, and it delves into everything from why certain
subgenres are having a moment Hello Cowboys, to what's happening
the Jane Austen Verse.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Okay, so it's been almost a year since we stopped
doing the podcast, and you know, we get the question occasionally,
do you make having a podcast? And my knee jerk
answer is always no. But then the truth is that
I would say, like once a month, you and I
do the thing where we're like, well, if we had
a podcast, we could be talking about this. We do,
we do?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We do.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
But then when I went to search my slack and
text messages to be like, what have we said that about,
it was actually kind of it was harder to surface
them than I thought it would be. And then I
was like, maybe we actually don't miss it that much.
I don't know, hard to say, hard to say, what
did you? I have a few things, but I feel
like you turned up more. I turned up a decent amount.
The most moving one was tin Can, which is a
(01:34):
landline OU yeah, yeah, it's a landline for kids that
if you are in a parenting group chat especially I
think in Brooklyn you have probably heard about by now.
But it operates over the internet, but it is it
really only has landline capabilities, no text messaging or anything
like that. And Cam got one for the first night
of Hanukkah and his first call was to you, and
(01:54):
we both cried.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It was really moving.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
It was the power also, the power of the telephone
and how it forces children to actually engage in conversation
and not just look at you and say what's that?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
What's that? You know? It just fored us.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Both what a different experience it was than FaceTime. It
was amazing and I continue to find it amazing.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Well also moving.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
In my opinion, sausage races were a recurring segment on
this podcast.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Yes, in the last I would say three or four months.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Now that we're into baseball season again, sausage races have
come up in two contexts that I would love to
have been able to give an update about. One is
that I learned that the Milwaukee Brewers who are the
kings of the sausage race, really it's staffers who are
sort of like randomly called up to participate.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
In the sausage races. And if you feared.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
That this was not a competitive endeavor, you are wrong,
because the winner of the sausage race gets to go
home early.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Wow right right, wow right?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I think any staffer who participate should get to
go home early, because it's a kind of humiliating thing
to like, unless you are a clown, you know, a
clown trade by trade, Like, it's a lot for the
person in accounting to have to suit up and do.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
That listen, But I do like that it adds a
level of seriousness. They're competing for a real incentiveentive, there's incentive.
The other thing I learned is that in Japan, and
I don't know specifically like how often or like the
frequency with Wish, it's ocurags, but at the Tokyo Dome
there is a sushi race.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So important, so important, and and correct, so important and correct.
What else you got, Well, since you're talking about recurring
segment updates, I do have an after Dark update, and
it's timely because just this past weekend we as of recording,
we attended and were exhibitors at book Con, which is
Imagine comic combo for books, and it just returned from
(03:56):
a hiatus in New York at the Javit Center. And
when we were going for all the application process, there's
panel submission opportunity, and one of the panel submission sections
asks would you like your panel submission to be considered
for after Dark? After Dark starts at seven pm, can
be all ages or for ages eighteen up or twenty
one up, so after Dark continues to really just just.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Be around, not to turn this into a full segment.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
What do you think the difference is between over eighteen
and over twenty one. In a book con panel, would
you say, maybe, just did you get an alcohol sponsor?
I don't know. You know, it's the only thing that
tracks for me, and I.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Deeply relate to your having trouble not turning all of
these into a full podcast episode. Okay, two really quick
ones that I would cut, but like, just you've heard
us talk about the twelve foot skeletons at Halloween before,
so this really also does count as like a recurring segment. Update.
We got an official pitch, an official pr pitch from
Home Depot this year about their Halloween collection. That was
(04:59):
a tough moment as retired podcasters not to be able
to discuss it.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
This is when you understand why Michael Jordan came out
of retirement. You know, it made perfect sense at that moment.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Another is that I had an MRI recently, well not
even recently enough that I can remember why I had it,
but I got like seven text messages and emails warning
me that I could not wear cat I nail polish
in an MRI, and I was like, friends, I don't
even know what cat I nail polish is. We don't
need to worry about it, like it's fine. So that's
that's one, and then I have one on the others,
(05:30):
I have one last one. I have one last I'm
wondering if it's the same one as mine, and if not,
then then we may have to do another.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
After yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, mine. It's probably not mine?
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Butter busts a topic of conversation known to the known
to regular listeners. The country artists Haley Witters who I
Just Love released an album that features as its album
art her as a butter bust and I was like,
this is someone that one understands art and two who
(06:01):
was like, yeah, I would like a butter buzz made
of me, and I have the excuse.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I would like to meet the creative director or maybe
this was her idea.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
I don't know, I don't know. That's incredible, incredible. It
is so hard, It is so hard.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
In this day and age to do image making that
feels original and that is really special, truly special.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
What's your last one?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It's not, it feels somehow related, and it's Penzies Spices,
which I feel like you're more familiar with Penzy Spices
as a company.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Than I am my mother in laws, I would say
a pretty committed user. Okay, yeah, which is different I
think than like even just a consumer of them, but like, yeah,
she's she's a real Penzi's loyalist.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So it's just one of It's a spice company.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Much like I don't like how you said it's just
before you said it, You're right right, it is a
spice company. Like many beloved businesses that we have discussed
on the podcast in the past. It looks like its
website was maybe made with geocites or wics no shape wix,
so I know is still active. They have a section
(07:03):
on their website called about Republicans, And I can't read
you the whole thing because it's doctor Browner's level of
detail of yeah, but I'll just read you the first
sentence and then i'll read you a little section from it.
So the first sentence of about Republicans is, as we've
now said on our first ever about us page on
our website, there's something unique about humankind's relationship with spices
(07:24):
that time and again have caused spices to be a
driving force for change, and then goes on to discuss
it's feeling of let's call it a feeling of opposition
and disconnect to the slow decline of what it calls
the slow decline of the Republican Party. And this was
my favorite section that I slack to you. If, on
the other hand, you still want the best spices and
(07:44):
don't need us to respect what you now vote for
to be our customer, hoorai. We are happy to have
you here, but know that we will on a regular
basis try to wake you up from the stream that
has you believing that there is anything conservative left at
all to what the Republican Party has become. We can
and will work without Republicans to solve the pro we face,
but it sure would be nice to get back to
a time where Republicans were equal defenders of quality, the environment,
(08:05):
and democracy.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
We look forward to that day.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
And then it is signed, thanks for reading, Thanks for
being here, Bill, incredible.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Stuff, speaking of spice, speaking of Clap clap, clap for
that segue home back May seven, where this feed will
be the new home of the Radio eight through One podcast,
your weekly dose of all things romance.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
That's right with two of the most brilliant romance readers
that we know.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
We are so excited for you to get.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
To know them.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
If you don't already, we hope you stick around.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yes, listen to the radio eight three to one podcast
starting May seventh on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts. And if you're looking for
more love, check out eight three one stories dot com.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
That's the show.
Oh Hi, this is Erica and this is Claire, and
we are back, but only very briefly, to tell you
about something new that is hitting this feed in the
next few weeks, and to tell you a few things
we've really missed being able to share with you over
the last years since we've popped up.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Coming May seventh, this feed will be the new home
of the Radio eight three one podcast, your weekly dose
of all things romance. It's a production of iHeart Podcasts,
hosted by Sin John Ombasker and Tyler McCall to brilliant, funny,
knowledgeable people who we love having in our ears and
in our lives.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It is a half hour show that we like to
think of as the sports center of smut. It's sort
of the audio companion to our romantic fiction publishing company
eight three one stories that you, hopefully by now maybe
know about, and it delves into everything from why certain
subgenres are having a moment Hello Cowboys, to what's happening
the Jane Austen Verse.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Okay, so it's been almost a year since we stopped
doing the podcast, and you know, we get the question occasionally,
do you make having a podcast? And my knee jerk
answer is always no. But then the truth is that
I would say, like once a month, you and I
do the thing where we're like, well, if we had
a podcast, we could be talking about this. We do,
we do?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We do.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
But then when I went to search my slack and
text messages to be like, what have we said that about,
it was actually kind of it was harder to surface
them than I thought it would be. And then I
was like, maybe we actually don't miss it that much.
I don't know, hard to say, hard to say, what
did you? I have a few things, but I feel
like you turned up more. I turned up a decent amount.
The most moving one was tin Can, which is a
(01:34):
landline OU yeah, yeah, it's a landline for kids that
if you are in a parenting group chat especially I
think in Brooklyn you have probably heard about by now.
But it operates over the internet, but it is it
really only has landline capabilities, no text messaging or anything
like that. And Cam got one for the first night
of Hanukkah and his first call was to you, and
(01:54):
we both cried.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It was really moving.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
It was the power also, the power of the telephone
and how it forces children to actually engage in conversation
and not just look at you and say what's that?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
What's that? You know? It just fored us.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Both what a different experience it was than FaceTime. It
was amazing and I continue to find it amazing.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Well also moving.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
In my opinion, sausage races were a recurring segment on
this podcast.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Yes, in the last I would say three or four months.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Now that we're into baseball season again, sausage races have
come up in two contexts that I would love to
have been able to give an update about. One is
that I learned that the Milwaukee Brewers who are the
kings of the sausage race, really it's staffers who are
sort of like randomly called up to participate.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
In the sausage races. And if you feared.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
That this was not a competitive endeavor, you are wrong,
because the winner of the sausage race gets to go
home early.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Wow right right, wow right?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I think any staffer who participate should get to
go home early, because it's a kind of humiliating thing
to like, unless you are a clown, you know, a
clown trade by trade, Like, it's a lot for the
person in accounting to have to suit up and do.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
That listen, But I do like that it adds a
level of seriousness. They're competing for a real incentiveentive, there's incentive.
The other thing I learned is that in Japan, and
I don't know specifically like how often or like the
frequency with Wish, it's ocurags, but at the Tokyo Dome
there is a sushi race.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So important, so important, and and correct, so important and correct.
What else you got, Well, since you're talking about recurring
segment updates, I do have an after Dark update, and
it's timely because just this past weekend we as of recording,
we attended and were exhibitors at book Con, which is
Imagine comic combo for books, and it just returned from
(03:56):
a hiatus in New York at the Javit Center. And
when we were going for all the application process, there's
panel submission opportunity, and one of the panel submission sections
asks would you like your panel submission to be considered
for after Dark? After Dark starts at seven pm, can
be all ages or for ages eighteen up or twenty
one up, so after Dark continues to really just just.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Be around, not to turn this into a full segment.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
What do you think the difference is between over eighteen
and over twenty one. In a book con panel, would
you say, maybe, just did you get an alcohol sponsor?
I don't know. You know, it's the only thing that
tracks for me, and I.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Deeply relate to your having trouble not turning all of
these into a full podcast episode. Okay, two really quick
ones that I would cut, but like, just you've heard
us talk about the twelve foot skeletons at Halloween before,
so this really also does count as like a recurring segment. Update.
We got an official pitch, an official pr pitch from
Home Depot this year about their Halloween collection. That was
(04:59):
a tough moment as retired podcasters not to be able
to discuss it.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
This is when you understand why Michael Jordan came out
of retirement. You know, it made perfect sense at that moment.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Another is that I had an MRI recently, well not
even recently enough that I can remember why I had it,
but I got like seven text messages and emails warning
me that I could not wear cat I nail polish
in an MRI, and I was like, friends, I don't
even know what cat I nail polish is. We don't
need to worry about it, like it's fine. So that's
that's one, and then I have one on the others,
(05:30):
I have one last one. I have one last I'm
wondering if it's the same one as mine, and if not,
then then we may have to do another.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
After yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, mine. It's probably not mine?
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Butter busts a topic of conversation known to the known
to regular listeners. The country artists Haley Witters who I
Just Love released an album that features as its album
art her as a butter bust and I was like,
this is someone that one understands art and two who
(06:01):
was like, yeah, I would like a butter buzz made
of me, and I have the excuse.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I would like to meet the creative director or maybe
this was her idea.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
I don't know, I don't know. That's incredible, incredible. It
is so hard, It is so hard.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
In this day and age to do image making that
feels original and that is really special, truly special.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
What's your last one?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It's not, it feels somehow related, and it's Penzies Spices,
which I feel like you're more familiar with Penzy Spices
as a company.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Than I am my mother in laws, I would say
a pretty committed user. Okay, yeah, which is different I
think than like even just a consumer of them, but like, yeah,
she's she's a real Penzi's loyalist.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So it's just one of It's a spice company.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Much like I don't like how you said it's just
before you said it, You're right right, it is a
spice company. Like many beloved businesses that we have discussed
on the podcast in the past. It looks like its
website was maybe made with geocites or wics no shape wix,
so I know is still active. They have a section
(07:03):
on their website called about Republicans, And I can't read
you the whole thing because it's doctor Browner's level of
detail of yeah, but I'll just read you the first
sentence and then i'll read you a little section from it.
So the first sentence of about Republicans is, as we've
now said on our first ever about us page on
our website, there's something unique about humankind's relationship with spices
(07:24):
that time and again have caused spices to be a
driving force for change, and then goes on to discuss
it's feeling of let's call it a feeling of opposition
and disconnect to the slow decline of what it calls
the slow decline of the Republican Party. And this was
my favorite section that I slack to you. If, on
the other hand, you still want the best spices and
(07:44):
don't need us to respect what you now vote for
to be our customer, hoorai. We are happy to have
you here, but know that we will on a regular
basis try to wake you up from the stream that
has you believing that there is anything conservative left at
all to what the Republican Party has become. We can
and will work without Republicans to solve the pro we face,
but it sure would be nice to get back to
a time where Republicans were equal defenders of quality, the environment,
(08:05):
and democracy.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
We look forward to that day.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
And then it is signed, thanks for reading, Thanks for
being here, Bill, incredible.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Stuff, speaking of spice, speaking of Clap clap, clap for
that segue home back May seven, where this feed will
be the new home of the Radio eight through One podcast,
your weekly dose of all things romance.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
That's right with two of the most brilliant romance readers
that we know.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
We are so excited for you to get.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
To know them.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
If you don't already, we hope you stick around.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yes, listen to the radio eight three to one podcast
starting May seventh on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts. And if you're looking for
more love, check out eight three one stories dot com.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
That's the show.
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