12/24/2023 0 Comments Ring modulation max headroom incident![]() ![]() One popular contemporary theory was that the hijacking was a protest against the then-recent rise of premium cable channels using satellite encryption to lock out non-subscribers - proving that this encryption was not foolproof. Several theories as to their identities and motives have been put forth over the years, ranging from disgruntled employees taking revenge to more sinister cyber-terrorism. The case soon went cold, however despite the careful planning and expensive, highly specialized equipment that must have gone into their adventure, the hijackers were seemingly content with their single day's efforts and made no further communications of any kind. The FCC opened an investigation, warning that if caught, the perpetrators faced a year in jail and upwards of $100,000 in fines. The incidents garnered widespread media coverage, and outrage from the public. ![]() It's dirty! I'm going to !" As he tosses the glove away in disgust, the footage jump cuts to an image of 'Max' bent over, his rear exposed in side view, shrieking "They're coming to get me! Don't do it! Noooo!" while a second figure in a French maid costume - just far enough off-screen to be anonymous - spanks him with a flyswatter. He then grabs a single industrial glove and puts it on, explaining that "My brother is wearing the other one. Noises are heard suggestive of defecation and 'Max' announces that he "just made a giant masterpiece for all the Greatest World Newspaper Nerds!" (a garbled reference both to WGN, 'The World's Greatest News' station, and their then-sister newspaper, the Chicago Tribune). He complains about his 'piles' (or possibly 'files'). ![]() He hums the theme song to the children's program Clutch Cargo (which had been airing in reruns on WGN at the time) and says "I still see the X!", a reference to the show's final episode. Pseudo-Max tosses the can aside, shows off what some interpret as a sex toy and adds "Your love is fading" (possibly a reference to The Temptations' song "(I Know) I'm Losing You"). Frickin' liberal!" Then, laughing, he holds up a Pepsi can and says "Catch the wave" - the catchphrase of Pepsi competitor New Coke, for which the real Headroom was a spokesman at the time. 'Max' begins this round by asserting that someone (on the evidence, probably Roan) is a "Frickin' nerd! Yeah, I think I'm better than Chuck Swirsky. Presumably, the hijackers had the insider savvy to realize WTTW, later at night, would be a softer target. Given the content, though, it was likewise aimed at WGN. This new 'production' once again stars the masked Max Headroom figure against the same stylized background but is (as was proven later by internal clues) a separate segment from the first. Unfortunately, that message is incoherent to the point of it being unlikely there was one at all, outside of the hack itself. This time - since the WTTW engineers had left for the night - the hijackers managed to successfully transmit their complete 2min 45sec message, albeit still with heavily distorted audio. The second hijacking took place almost exactly two hours later, around 11:15, on PBS station WTTW during an airing of the Doctor Who serial Horror of Fang Rock. The intrusion ran only for the thirty seconds it took WGN engineers to switch to a signal from an unaffected transmitter, whereupon a visibly flustered Roan reappeared to tell viewers "Well, if you're wondering what just happened, so am I!". This lack of a discernable soundtrack is thought to have resulted from a failure to hijack the station's audio frequencies. The masked figure seems to be moving to music, but the only actual audio is heavy, buzzing static. Around 9:15 PM, anchor Dan Roan was giving the sports report on the nightly news program when his Bears game highlights were abruptly interrupted by a figure in a brown suit and full latex Max Headroom mask, head and shoulders only visible against an undulating, corrugated tin background - evidently a manual mimic of Headroom's signature hard-edged graphic style. The first hijacking took place during a news broadcast on independent Chicago television station WGN-TV, Channel 9 on the dial. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |