80's Hacker - Guy in Max Headroom mask takes over PBS show! watch!
youtube.com — During a broadcast of the Dr. Who episode "Horror of Fang Rock" on WTTW Chicago Channel 11, on Sunday November 22nd, 1987, at around 11:15pm, a Video "Pirate" wearing a Max Headroom mask broke into the signal and transmitted one of the weirdest, unauthorized things ever to hit the Chicago airwaves.
brenhamTX- 2267 diggs
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- antdude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+37I always wanted to see this because I read about it. Crazy stuff.
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+56here's the news article about it too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mzkt4N77s&mode=related&search= - halldan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+46lmao
"i got so upset, that i wanted to bust the tv set...i really did" - Quakes, on 10/12/2007, -5/+33Am I the only one who thought of the Laughing Man Incident when seeing this? Heh.
- Charlotte_Web, on 10/12/2007, -35/+9The CBS News report on the incident:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mzkt4N77s&mode=related&search= - mt066, on 10/12/2007, -7/+18I like the guy at 0:49. With a straight face: "I got so upset, I wanted to bust the TV set." What a dork.
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11@Charlotte_Web, but you've reposted the exact same video...
- pr0t0, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17You know, as if things on television aren't bad enough, this transmission will go out into deep space and be picked up by some awesomely advanced civilization. They are just waiting to unload their secrets on eternal life, limitless free energy, utopian social/governmental functioning, and a way to safely use any kind of metal in a microwave. They'll take one look at that and say "Next!".
- themastersb, on 10/12/2007, -16/+1@ Quakes
What does the Laughing Man incident have to do with this?.... Idiot.... - yottabite, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Yeah Quake I thought of it right away. Maybe the same thing has been happening secretly in the US but the 7 second delay has been keeping it secret?
- bat-21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I remember the day after this happened, everyone desperately trying to find someone who happened to have videotaped it. After all these years, I finally get to see it.
- epheterson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@pr0t0
They would have said that watching the TV show anyway - rhettnyedotorg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1pepsi ad.
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+56here's the news article about it too
- Thorpe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+31This is one really weird prank and they never got caught.
- DarkSorrow, on 10/12/2007, -90/+10FBI did caught him. i read one of the news said they did caught him and he was arrestted for hacking the airwaves.
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+29can you tell me which paper?
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21not being mean, just want to follow the story
- zachol, on 10/12/2007, -18/+3Why was DarkSorrow's comment dug down?
-53? - roostishaw, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I'm guessing it was because he, from what we can tell, lied. But that's just a guess, and and was wrong once.
- mcottier, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9And also his speech skills are terrible.
- bazuden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That's terrible english. Terrible.
- Inverno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3He stats a 'fact' that goes against what the majority of the people here want to believe and doesn't site a source.
- raptordrew, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@DarkSorrow - First, review your English grammar book from grade school. Now, the Chicago hacker was never discovered, but the HBO ("Captain Midnight") was; I do not know where you get your information from, but it seems to go against everything I just researched trying to find out myself if he got caught. Wikipedia's article is just one source. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_hacker
- booc0mtaco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I just updated that wikipedia page with some more information about captain midnight, etc. Feel free to continue editing, if you so desire.
- pgup, on 10/12/2007, -3/+39Thats quite creepy. DUGG!
- seventoes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23That would freak me the fk out if i saw that in the middle of a show i was watching...
- gwinerreniwg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3^ Not if that show was Doctor Who...though I am a fan, that show is decidely creepy/freeky sometimes too.
BTW, in the vid, Max's voice sounds like a Dalek...If I were in the kitchen and only hearing the broadcast, I would have thought it was part of the show.
- grendelboogie, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14I remember seeing this. Dugg.
- chicagobiker, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12I remember seeing this as it happened too.
- eggo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+29Is there a transcript of what he is saying? I can't understand him at all.
- _Caboose_, on 10/12/2007, -1/+60"He's a freaky nerd!"
"This guy's better than Chuck Swirsky." [another WGN sportscaster at the time]
"Oh Jesus!"
"Catch the wave..." [reference to a Coke commercial at the time of which Max Headroom was a spokesperson]
"Your love is fading..."
"I stole CBS."
"Oh, I just made a giant masterpiece printed all over the greatest world newspaper nerds." [??]
"My brother [mother?] is wearing the other one."
"It's dirty..."
"They're coming to get me..." - Thorpe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+35Here is the transcript:
http://www.textfiles.com/magazines/TOLMES/tns14 - pron*, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Yes, I want a full transcript!
Thorpe I read through your link (and #15 Part II) and it's all just the news coverage and people's comments. Where is the actual transcript?
I had never heard of this inicdent before, it's awesome. dugg - mt066, on 10/12/2007, -1/+33Haha, such an opportunity to reach a huge audience in a totally unique way, and what is his message? Some unintelligible phrases and then slapping his ass with a flyswatter. LOL. Cool though.
- node3, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Yeah, I'm surprised anyone could even notice it *wasn't* their regularly scheduled programming.... :-)
- _Caboose_, on 10/12/2007, -1/+60"He's a freaky nerd!"
- mouthwash, on 10/12/2007, -35/+9Whats with the ass spanking at the end?
- coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+118What's a pirate TV broadcast WITHOUT bare-ass spanking called?
Worthless. That's what. - CursedFrogurt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24 @coheedcollapse
"What's a pirate TV broadcast WITHOUT bare-ass spanking called?
Worthless. That's what."
Agreed. That was the funniest part IMO. The rest just looked like some crazed video savant did the prank.
- coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+118What's a pirate TV broadcast WITHOUT bare-ass spanking called?
- joaob, on 10/12/2007, -4/+21that is so awesome haha
first time hearing of this - TheVetos, on 10/12/2007, -7/+41Dude, I used to have dreams about a guy in a mask hijacking a television brodcast and then killing important politcal figures live.
Thanks for bringing back those memories- lefragileebouy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+35dreams or plans? ;}
- halleyscomet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28@TheVetos
You must have read "V for Vendetta" at an early age. :) - webcrumb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Can't you be arrested for those sorts of dreams nowadays?
- k3ymaster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Only if you're a muslim.
- danjal, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3weird stuff
- Fantt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+49I figured he was going to rant about the government and tell us "There's something very wrong about this country." And then something about November 5th.
- ippersiel, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16I would believe it more applicable today
Pay attention this November :) - danmanx, on 10/12/2007, -22/+8How'd you guys know that November 5th was my dad's birthday??
- da_bradler, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot...
- ippersiel, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16I would believe it more applicable today
- DigitalPioneer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Hahaha, never heard of that. Pretty crazy. Didn't understand a word he said, but that stands to reason. He corrupted the audio feed, sounds like. DUGG for pure humorous insanity. :p
- digduggler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Awesome.
- billyboobs34, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I miss Max Headroom. At least I can watch Matt Frewer on Eureka.
- netwookiee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5You can watch Max Headroom at aol.com just go to:
http://television.aol.com/in2tv/max-headroom-tv - guice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"You can watch Max Headroom at aol.com just go to:"
... Only for IE:
"We're sorry, but you must have ActiveX enabled for your browser to view this content. Please enable ActiveX and refresh this page to view the content."
- netwookiee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5You can watch Max Headroom at aol.com just go to:
- therightrev, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Beautiful... and inspiring... I need a Wayne Newton mask, some duct tape, and a camera then I can change the world.
- ufia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2You forgot to factor in the $600,000 transmitter to hijack the TV signal.
- ufia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2You forgot to factor in the $600,000 transmitter to hijack the TV signal.
- Paul, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Sweet I've only read about it...
I I'm 3 episodes away from finishing the complete Tom Baker collection... it's good Weird Al didn't mention that in White and Nerdy... - wirelesshnic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Any articles on how he managed to do it? Although I liked the video I love to see a technical article on how it was done.
- usp8riot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8My guess is he just broadcasted on the same frequency and just used an overbearing amount of amplitude or power, whatever you call it, to overpower the stations signal. Like how you can overwrite someone else on a CB channel when you have more transmission power than they do. Beyond that, I don't know any more technical aspects. I don't think it's that hard, just requires more powerful equipment.
- chicagobiker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I could be wrong, but I think at the time I remember reading that it was theorized whoever did this lugged a massive transmitter to the roof of a commercial building in downtown Chicago and blasted their own signal on top of the WTTW signal and essentially "stepped on" or drown out the real channel with their own higher powered signal. From back in the day when I was active in the local Chicago CB enthusiast scene the rumor was the perp of this prank was someone who was involved in building CB linear signal amplifiers and pulled this stunt as a massive proof of concept.
- ChillyWilly5280, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It sounded like he simply overpowered WTTW's feed, probably by location (set up real close to the transmitter). Thus the garbled audio.
- Teazo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Correct, he overpowered the microwave feed between the station and the transmitter.
- AllEvil669, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17Wow, that is so cool. I always dreamed of doing something like that (taking over a station, not getting spanked on t.v.). Totally DUGG.
- mem2, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5sif u dont want some hot fly swatter action.
- Paul, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I so need to insert this into the proper place in my WHO collection. Does anyone have the AVI?
- tablatronix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16Man i always wanted to hack TV. Oh the power.
- Shecky919, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I remeber watching that happen LIVE (I was 16 at the time). It was funny and freaky all at the same time.
Noone every got caught, let alone charged for it, and there was one hell of a manhunt for the guy. If I remember correctly Besides Channels 9 and 11, Channel 2 (CBS Chicago) metioned that they had prevented him from breaking in theirs.
Just to put things in perspective. Channel 9 Chicago (WGN) was an independant station back then, and Channel 11 (WTTW) is PBS.
People were talking about it all for weeks, no tech docs on how he did were ever recieved, jus tthe idea that he used a powerful Microwave transmitter that intterupted the uplink to the main broadcast attena (Both were on top of the Hancock building) - chicagobiker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I remember it too. I was watching Dr. Who as it happened. I was 19. And yes I recall them theorizing that whoever did it, blocked or hi-jacked the microwave uplink to the transmitter tower, or used a much higher powered signal amplifier and basically "stepped on" the WTTW signal.
Crazy stuff and they never caught who did this. - disturbance, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Damn, I totally forgot about this. I was 14 when I saw this. My dad and i used to tape Dr Who and at first we thought it part of the show. In high school we used to play this tape at parties and pretend to know who it was. What a ***** flashback!!! Thanx BrenhamTX! You made my day.
- Shecky919, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I remeber watching that happen LIVE (I was 16 at the time). It was funny and freaky all at the same time.
- ryanownsu, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5very cool
was anyone ever caught or charged for this? - CapnMarko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12And since 87' all we've got is some porn playing in the back of a Swedish newscast. Come on there we need someone to rigg a microwave interrupter outta a pringles can, aluminium foil, and some 9 volts.
There is probably an easier way to hijack the over the air transimissions since everyone gets most of their programming through cable and sattelite. Somebody hijack something and broadcast Tiki Bar TV. - rompom7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5reminds me of capitan midnight.
- SweetsGreen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3friggin awesome!
- w33t, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19Hmm, I wonder if WTTW Chicago will try to remove that clip from youtube by claiming it's copyrighted.
- mamasu4u, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2that is crazy funny!
- signal15, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I think it was back in the 80's, someone did the same thing, but played porn during saturday morning cartoons. I can't seem to find any info on it on the web though. Happened in Minneapolis on either channel 4 or 5.
- Xinareiaz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3See, I would disagree with that, but not as much with just some werido goofing off.
- zifnab, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@signal15: that was when cartoon network showed video from the playboy channel but the sound from the flintstones
- solvable, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Haha. That's pretty awesome.
The dude must have had some serious equipment to over power their signals.
I love pure insanity. :D - mlvassallo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14That looks like normal late night broadcasting for our public access TV here in Austin.
- Nadinengland, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4He must have been behind the station with cans like CapnMarko said, with a coat hanger!
- djsmiley2k, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6Well i had never heard of this, but that was pretty damn funny....
DUGG From the UK! - Haapi, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4I was just happy to see the Doctor and Leela.
- yalebloor, on 10/12/2007, -17/+1Cacaphony Society - Prank / join now, (http://www.cacophony.org/) you may already be a member! we are everywhere!
- demigod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Wow, i miss those times. That's real hacking there. Funny as hell too.
- 250quid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14That was the greatest thing i have ever seen..
And nothing has proved how thin the line is between genius and insanity better than this video.
Being from the UK i have never even heard of this. - spookshowbaby, on 10/12/2007, -1/+45YES! Now if I could just hunt down my 5th grade Social Studies teacher and prove it to her! I used this as a "Current Events" piece in 5th grade (share with the class a news item) and she didn't give me any points because she didn't believe that it really happened.
- streamx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Wow one of the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in my life...
- osarhan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Thats some proper old school hacking none of the boring stuff!
- Easty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Haha, that must have creeped the ***** out of people who were watching.
- dadaguru, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I watched this as it happened. A friend of mine who worked at WGN at the time speculated that it was done by broadcast engineers who would have had easy access to the needed equipment.
My memories of this were that it lasted a long time and that "Max" dropped his drawers and mooned the camera before the spanking.
I also seem to remember someone doing this wearing a Nixon mask a few years earlier. But, I could have just been really stoned at the time. - Chrysalid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Anyone got any ideas of what kind of equipment he was using? Did he just hi-jack the link between the big transmitter and the tv station or something, or did he override the big transmitter with a stronger signal?
- onetruetweedle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Back on track (kind of) why does this type of thing not happen today anymore?
The 80's, backward though they may have been, were pretty much awesome.- js530, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There was a case where a pirate in Italy, IIRC, hijacked a TV repeater for a pirate broadcast, and other repeaters around the country rebroadcasted the pirate signal, spreading the broadcast across the country. Since then, TV stations started implementing some kind of encryption.
- culbeda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What a fun idea and an opportunity wasted. It's a shame that someone with some creativity didn't have the resources / inclination to do this.
Perhaps in a Guy Fawkes mask... ;-)- onetruetweedle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Kind of what I was considering. If someone broke on as V, or some such nonsense - that would have been incredibly awesome.
- abcbooze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Max Headroom, the tv show, had a premise that the world was controlled by evil tv corporations, and one way to 'stick it to the man' was zipping! zipping into a live tv feed was a crime punishable by death. It is pretty funny to go back and watch those shows these days. The Max Headroom character could basically go into any system he wanted to, so i can see why someone wanting to pirate tv would spoof as him, especially during that time period when the show and character were popular.
- treleung, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1His equipment was more expensive than you can imagine.
"This guy had to have quite a rig," said Larry Inman, chief engineer
of an Urbana station, WILL-TV. "Transmitters with that much power cost
$400,000 to $600,000."
According to an inflation calculator; that's $840,526.78 in today's market. Near a million dollar rig. If I were to guess I'd say he broke into a facility and transmitted it from there. Or he's just incredibly rich.- sardiax, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2he could've worked/gone to school somewhere where he could "borrow" the equipment necessary to do this IMO.
- LRoy12, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I havent been able to concentrate in my classes today. I keep thinking of this video and how awesome/ freaky it is.
- jukhau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"he broke into a facility and transmitted it from there. "
Most likely. Making one prank with expensive equipment doesn't make any sense.
Anyway... this was really great video. Nice. :)- Inverno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I'm thinking the guys who want to prevent this sort of thing from happening are going to give misleading information on how to go about doing it.
If I were going to spend over $100,000 on something, I find it hard to believe I could not be tracked. It's not like RadioShack has commercial microwave transmitters.
- Inverno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I'm thinking the guys who want to prevent this sort of thing from happening are going to give misleading information on how to go about doing it.
- pureevilmatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is awesome. Reminds me a bit of something like "They Live!". And if you watch the newscast about the pirate signal, it reminds me of "Pump up the Volume". I wonder how much if any, those movies were influenced by this incident.
Taste the Wave! OOOOH MY FILES! - Sil369, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Hmm.. reminds me a bit of "Saw".
- newfoundnoise82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1now if only they could do this again when the "news" media is reporting on the latest celebrity happenings or the latest white girl gone missing story....
- Lynxpro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
I thought the hacker jumped multiple channels. That's how I remember it being reported here in Sacramento. The local news channels covered the story and were even nice to give a little plug to our city's PBS station - KVIE 6 - since they too aired *Doctor Who* back then on Saturday nights at 10pm after *The Prisoner* (or the creepy "Star Gazer").- solvable, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1He hit during a football game on WGN.
Then later that night he hit during Doctor Who on PBS.
That's the only sightings I remember hearing.
- solvable, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1He hit during a football game on WGN.
- kickarse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2That was awesome... like the movie hackers only better!
- Hatefull, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Hack the planet!
-
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