The Max Headroom Broadcast Intrusion
One night in 1987, someone in a rubber mask hijacked two Chicago TV stations, and was never caught.
What was reported
On the evening of 22 November 1987, during the sports news on Chicago station WGN-TV, the screen suddenly cut to a person wearing a mask of Max Headroom, a popular TV character, swaying in front of a rotating metallic background. There was only a buzzing sound. After about 25 seconds, engineers switched frequencies and the picture returned.
Two hours later, the same masked figure took over station WTTW during an episode of 'Doctor Who', this time with distorted speech, for about a minute and a half.
Explanations offered
It was clearly a human prank, carried out by someone with the equipment and skill to overpower a TV station's signal. The US Federal Communications Commission investigated, but no one has ever been identified.
- When
- 22 November 1987
- Where
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Witnesses
- Television viewers across Chicago
- Status
- Never solved
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