Its a sad day in the land of 10,000 lakes. This past Saturday morning. T.D. Mischke host of “The Mischke Broadcast” for 17 years on AM1500 KSTP was suddenly fired. This coming just two days after his much anticipated CD Release show at O’Garas Pub. Mischke had a unique show and was my favorite talk show host. You could say his glory days on the air were when he was on at night. He was moved to daytime a few years ago and his show really wasn’t the same. Some antics he would do weren’t really allowed during daytime. And of course, some of his regular callers hadn’t been drinking yet. I was just getting into his show when he moved to daytime, but I still loved listening to him. His countless occasions where he would break out in song about some topic he was talking about. It usually rhymed and was very good. His moments of “dead air” where you thought the radio went out, only to hear papers shuffling around. He would take a humorous outlook on daily events and news. It was a unique broadcast and I can only hope he will be on the air again someday soon. Curses to KSTP for letting go the talented Mischke. I will leave you with The Mischke Poem written by Mischke’s college roommate years ago.
The Mischke Poem
The memories are golden there
my daddy’s pipe, my mama’s chair
my grandma’s braid was done with care
and on the wireless was Mischke
My mama’d sit us on the rug
and keep us quiet with a hug
my grandpa’d laugh and the kids would shrug
at the shenanigans of Mischke
Jean said Tommy was the kind of man
that she would like to find
my uncle told her never mind
or there’ll be no more of Mischke
Later on in school boy days
when FM was the latest craze
I didn’t care or change my ways
and my dates all learned of Mischke
More recently my wife would scoff
and yell to turn that joker off
so I’d grab a smoke and play it soft
out on the deck with Mischke
I met him once at the State Fair
it was just outside the beer tent there
I heard that giggle in the air
and I knew that it was Mischke
If he was old or young I couldn’t see
But he was different than I thought he’d be
when he handed me a Swisher Sweet
well he seemed a good egg, Mischke
I called the wife with courage high
and said I’d be home by and by
my luck was too good to deny
I was hanging out with Mischke
We smoked our stogies in the night
as I kept buying him Cold Spring Lights
and before I knew my wrong from right
I was ’bout half-baked with Mischke
He borrowed five bucks and went away
I lost my lunch in a pile of hay
Who drove me home — well I can’t say
but I don’t think it was Mischke
I woke up on the lawn and saw my wife
I couldn’t stand up to save my life
and then from her robe she pulled a knife
and started screaming Mischke
I was up and running, filled with fear
and kitchen things flying by my ear
the wife was yelling loud and clear
You can just go live with Mischke
Well that was many years ago
and still I’m feeling pretty low
and if I had a radio
well it wouldn’t be tuned to Mischke
The man cost me my home and pride
he left a void a mile wide
he made me want to run and hide
and curse the name of Mischke
Now though I can’t afford the beers
I’ve waited by that tent for years
but it’s not about revenge or tears
I want something else from Mischke
See I don’t care much about the wife
or the shambles of my so called life
and I want no pity for my strife
but I want that five from Mischke
Somewhere the sun is shining bright
somewhere the hearts of men are light
and somewhere heroes do things right
and somewhere else… is Mischke
–by Michael Crouser
