truform:For those who are unfamiliar with the Max Headroom character, he was a computer-generated ma
truform:For those who are unfamiliar with the Max Headroom character, he was a computer-generated man popular in the late 1980s. He was seen frequently advertising Coca-Cola, and also had his own television series from 1987-1988. The character was spoofed in a scene from Back to the Future, Part II, as Marty encountered an animated Ronald Reagan in the Cafe 80s.The IncidentOn November 22, 1987, Chicago station WGN (Channel 9) was interrupted for approximately 30 seconds during its broadcast of The Nine O’Clock News. During the program, an unrelated video (with no audio) took over the station’s signal. The image consisted of a man in a Max Headroom mask, with a corrugated metal background, rotating left and right to mimic the animated lines in his videos. The station acted quickly to regain control of the signal, leaving a bewildered news anchor to comment, “Well, if you’re wondering what happened, so am I.”Several hours later, Chicago’s PBS affiliate (WTTW, Channel 11) aired an episode of Doctor Who. During the broadcast, that station’s signal was also hijacked. The intrusion consisted of the same images seen earlier on WGN. This time, audio accompanied the video. The intrusion also lasted considerably longer (approximately 90 seconds). The man on the screen did not appear to have a clear reason for appearing on camera, other than to spout random comments and hold objects up to the screen.To date, no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the incident. The perpetrators have also never been found.A Possible ClueA compelling article has appeared online in recent years, referencing the incident. While the author has no proof that can back up his claims, the detail and approach in the writing portray a very plausible theory. This testimony is written by someone who believes to know who was responsible for the signal intrusion that night.According to that article, the video pirates may have been an autistic man and his brother, both of whom lived in the Chicago area. The brothers (and their friends), according to the article, were heavily into telecommunications and technology. Several of the topics raised in the testimony seem to match up with the event, such as the type of humor the brothers enjoyed, as well as an affinity for reading newspapers (mentioned in passing by “Max” on the screen).This is hardly enough to prove the claims of the author, but the story does not lead to the writer wanting glory for his claims. He also goes out of his way not to mention names, in an effort to protect these former acquaintances from unwanted attention.Will the perpetrators ever be known to the public? It’s doubtful that anything new will surface after 25 years. However, this will not stop mystery buffs from studying the incident for many years to come. -- source link