Fake Commercials and Madison Radio Samplers


This section is for the most creatively bizarre of all of the WLHA productions. Here you will find the multitude of fake Y-Tel Record offers and other fake commercials, April Fools announcements, 1976 Bicentennial related product offers and, of course, the Madison Radio Samplers. The Madison Radio Samplers were not aired on WLHA. They were just-for-fun productions designed for self amusement, poking fun at the other stations and radio personalities in town, twisting the names and call letters slightly and impersonating and exaggerating real or imaginary elements of their programming. It starts on the AM band and travels down the dial and then switches to the FM band to attack the FM competition. Sampler one was created in 1976 and the second one was created in 1978.

Amalgamation Production, sometime before 1971, voice unknown. This grand and pompous closing theme and sign-off was used to end all sorts of WLHA programs over the years. It was still being used in the late 1970s at the conclusion of the T. Baer show.

The Appliance Boutique. This was done as part of Madison Radio Sampler #2 and targets brother owners of The Appliance Mart. In the 1970s the Appliance Mart advertised on radio constantly in an effort to compete with TV Lenny's frantic advertising of American TV and Furniture. They ended every spot with the well known tag lines "Move it Out" or "We Buy Right" and frequenty hired stations to do remotes with live commercials featuring the sort of "guess how low the price is on this item" routine that is immitated here. Kevin Peckham and Andy Arns.

April Fools Concert pomo, Dennis Krause.

Astronomy Lecture Series, Dennis Krause.

Auto Radio Station spoof - Samurai Installer. This was done for the second Madison Radio Sampler and was inspired by the Auto Radio Station commercials that ran constantly throughout later 1970s and early 1980s on Madison radio.

Bicentennial Goo Goo Bar, Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.

Bicentennial Goo Goo Bar Again, Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.

Bob Reed Sportsline talks about the WLHA Kilohertz softball team. Bob Reed.

Coitus Connection R-Rated, Susan Tibbits. Did this actually air on WLHA? Yikes Susan.

Drag Race Spot, Kevin Peckham.

Dr. Mishkin #1, Lonya Nenashev, produced for the WLHA Andy Arns Hip-a-thon broadcast of Fall 2007. Dr. Mishkin, the discount surgeon, agreed to perform Andy's hip replacement surgery as a trade-out for running these spots.

Dr. Mishkin #2, Lonya Nenashev, produced for the WLHA Andy Arns Hip-a-thon broadcast of Fall 2007.

Fraternity Report, Chris Kammer as Bob Jarvis.

Frat Rat Report

Joel Dresang rants on pronunciation of "nuclear" in a special report.

Kentucky Big Shot Whiskey, Andy Arns and Chris Kammer. (like, who else would do this?)

Madison Radio Sampler #1 spoofing TV Lenny and other local radio commercials, as well as radio stations: WISM AM Charlie Rock 'n Roll Simon show, WYXE (Blue 92) , WIBA (Radio Free Madison),WMAD, WZEE (newly automated Z104), WORT (Back Porch Radio), and the WAWA Dr. Bop show from Milwaukee. Content by Andy Arns, Dave Bornstein, Kevin Peckham, Dennis Krause, and Kevin Ruppert.

Madison Radio Sampler #2, done a couple of years after #1, focuses heavily on spoofing radio commercials and revisits top forty WISM AM, the now tight playlist AOR and ultra-hip commercial free hour 92 FM, listener supported WORT, and for counterpoint, adds rural WSAW Ft. Atkinson to the station targets. To finish things off there is even some self directed spoofing of WLHA, including two fake production classics; Win Your Own Set of Luggage and the April Fool Mad City Weekend bit. Same cast of players as MRS #1.

Orientation Tip - Mendota Ducks, Andy Arns. Part of a series of WLHA Orientation Tips broadcast during registration week as helpful hints for new students.

Patty's Pet Store, Box Turtles Spot #1, Dave Bornstein. A 1976 parody of the ever present Bicentennial commercials that year.

Patty's Pet Store, Box Turtles Spot #2, Andy Arns. A parody of the Bicentennial commercial tie-ins rampant in 1976

Rinko Boomerang Darts, another spoof spot of the TV commercials that ran each Christmas season. Kevin Peckham, Andy Arns (ouch) and Dave Bornstein. In 1980 video was added to this to make a spoof TV spot that aired on WMTV during the live music show "Television" following SNL.

Saturdayyyy LHA Bash Promo done like a hyped up drag race commercial. Kevin Peckham still cringes every time someone plays this turkey.

Stupid Stereo Steve, Donkey spot, Kevin Peckham and Andy Arns. (Guess what local Madison advertiser is being spoofed in this commercial.)

Tim Conners for Senate, Kevin Peckham and Andy Arns.

Twelfth of Never Concert promo, Andy Arns.

Karl Tiedemann and Steve Winer did this fake spot that was a take-off of a classic TV commercial that used a two-headed mop to graphically show the difference between two competing floor cleaners.

Win Your Own Set of Luggage #1, Kevin Peckham and Kevin Ruppert.

Win Your Own Set of Luggage #2, Kevin Peckham and Kevin Ruppert.

Y-Tel Best of the Worst from the Past Now (how is that again?) Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.

Y-Tel Bottom of the Heap, Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.

Y-Tel Disco Vomit, Andy Arns and Dave Bornstein.

Y-Tel Funky Disco Jive, Dave Bornstein, Kevin Peckham and Andy Arns.

Y-Tel Music You'd Never Miss, Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.

Y-Tel Best of the Worst from the Past Now (how is that again?) Andy Arns and Chris Kammer.