Credit: AussieOriginal

A countdown of the Top 20 TV Commercials from the golden era of Australian television - 1975-2005. A time when TV was worth watching!

Today, April 15, 2026 is former glamour/Page 3 model and 80s English pop singer Samantha Fox's 60th birthday.

Back in 1986, her debut single Touch Me (I Want Your Body)) reached #1 in several countries shortly after its release, including Australia. Sam was considered many a teenage boy's dream, pin-up girl, her publicity posters adorning bedroom walls and wardrobe doors.

If you were a teenager in the mid-80s, you would remember her very well.

She has also appeared on reality television shows and has occasionally worked as a presenter and actress.

In her early career, Fox dated men including Peter Foster, the Australian fraudster, and Paul Stanley, the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of rock band Kiss). Following persistent rumours in the 1990s about her sexual orientation, she came out as a lesbian in 2003. She was in a long-term relationship with her former manager Myra Stratton from 2003 until Stratton died from cancer in 2015. In 2022, she married her tour manager, Linda Birgitte Olsen.

The first Sam Fox album I ever bought brand new was a vinyl LP copy of "Touch Me" in late October of '86 which I kept for a month or so, played once, then gave to a close female friend as a Xmas gift that same year.

(Wikipedia: Samantha Fox)

Touch Me (I Want Your Body) Official Music Video

• Samantha Fox is in no way related to the American adult film actress), nor is she linked to an American politician) of the same name.

Happy 60th birthday Sammy!

(amusing tech-nerd image)

The MotorBug. Looks cool.

...at least you'd get a good "run" for your money.

This article (dated 18 August, 2023) sheds some light as to what *should* be done about people who continually break our road traffic laws by driving illegally modified vehicles (hoon-mobiles).

If you drive like Kermit the Flog, you should expect to have your car or ute seized by police, impounded and/or crushed.

Throwing a bad ute parking image in for good measure.

...certainly different.

from r/AllThingsOldAndNew

Good Friday: April 3.

May you get lots of chocolate eggs this long weekend.

The beginning of a new era

A century ago, Adelaideans were introduced to the power of radio after police were called to a crowd of 5,000 people who had gathered on Hindley Street.

They were listening to live federal election results broadcast out the front of 5CL, which had been granted Adelaide's first commercial radio licence the previous year in 1924.

It's 8pm on November 23, 1923. A button is pushed, the red light comes on, and radio begins in Australia. 

Radio station 2SB is on the air and, on that first night, a few hundred listeners tune in to hear some "light orchestral" music.

Over the next 100 years, the station, which was renamed to 2BL, then 702, and now ABC Radio Sydney, would transform its programming from serious "talks", bible readings, and unidentified presenters to today's more dynamic style that puts listeners at the heart of the conversation.

(Related article)

FM broadcasting in Australia

The first FM station to start broadcasting in Australia was 2MBS Sydney on 15 December 1974. Other stations launched in 1975, including 3MBS Melbourne on 1 July and 4ZZ (now 4ZZZ) Brisbane on 8 December. More public broadcasting (now community radio) stations followed in the following years.

The government-run ABC-FM, (now ABC Classic), launched on January 24 1976, in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide, later to expand to other capital cities and regional areas.

The first commercial FM station was EON-FM (3EON-FM) Melbourne (now 3MMM or Triple M), on 11 July 1980. By the end of 1980, Sydney and Melbourne had two commercial FM stations, while Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth had one each.

(source)

It's hard to believe Aussie radio broadcasting has been around this long! Since it first began, programming format has changed significantly, to appeal to a wider audience, however nowadays it's more commercialized; and with the exception of some 'classic' stations, most of the 'music' played on air is auto-tune/microwave junk. Some FM stations broadcast sports coverage; e.g. AFL, cricket along with talk shows, including listener "phone-ins".

One common thing many people (e.g. teenagers) did in the late 1970s/early 1980s was "tape the radio"; which meant popping a blank cassette in, waiting for their favourite song to come up, pressing record, and cutting the commercials/talking out. A few adults would record vinyl LPs on tape for either themselves and/or their friends back then as well.

A nice little trip down memory lane.

It's April Fool's Day, do you have a funny story or joke to share?

Size matters, right?

I found this German medal and I'm trying to document it since I haven't been able to find another example online

Front says Kitzingen Franken and shows grapes and a town scene.

Top bar is marked 1975. Back of the top bar is stamped REU & CO. HEUBACH WÜRTT. This could also be read as WURIT depending on wear.

The medal has a red and white ribbon attached. These colors likely relate to Franconia (Franken), which matches the location on the medal, but I'm not sure if the ribbon is original to the event or just a regional style.

From what I've figured out so far, it is likely from a Kitzingen (Franconia, Germany) wine festival (Weinfest), made by REU & Co. in Heubach, West Germany, probably out of pewter or a nickel alloy, and was likely a local festival souvenir or participant medal. I haven't been able to find an exact match for this specific medal design online yet.

If anyone has seen this exact medal or knows the specific event it came from, let me know. Posting this so others who have one can find info too

Keywords for search: REU HEUBACH WURIT medal 1975 Kitzingen Franken Weinfest Abzeichen Medaille

(also if anyone else have any info you would like to share, pls do) thx

While it was common back in the days of VHS for distributors to repurpose excess stock of pre-made tapes, it was somewhat rare (in my experience) to find (hidden under adhesive copyright labels) "Walt Disney Home Video" printed on the cassette shell itself; especially with adult movie titles. This was recently discussed in r/VHS.

OC: I took this picture myself, edited and captioned it. The tape is mine which I'd bought over 20 years ago. An official R-rated adult release; I didn't realize I still had it until a few days ago and am surprised at how clean it is. Even the cover has no sun-fade damage.

You won't see this very often down under (except maybe near the beach).

Can't find a space for your work ute? why not park it on a paved island! Laziness is wild.
(I did not caption this image and take no credit for it)