Selects: The Max Headroom Affair | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Summary

The Max Headroom incident is a mysterious television hack that occurred in the 1980s. In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the incident and its cultural significance. Max Headroom was a virtual talk show host and a pop culture sensation during that time. The TV show Max Headroom was ahead of its time and had a cyberpunk theme. The incident involved a pirate broadcaster who hijacked a television signal and aired a bizarre and creepy video featuring a man in a Max Headroom mask. The hosts delve into the history and technical aspects of how the character was created using prosthetics and video effects.

The incident occurred in November 1987 when a person wearing a Max Headroom mask interrupted a broadcast on WGN TV in Chicago. The person wielded a rubber penis and a marital aid while humming theme songs and making strange comments. The incident caused shock and mixed reactions from viewers, and the FCC and FBI got involved in the investigation. The trail went cold quickly, but it was later discovered that the person likely used a direct TV dish and positioned themselves between the studio and transmission tower to overpower WGN's signal.

In the late 1980s, a group of pranksters hijacked the signal of two Chicago TV stations, WGN and WTTW. The hijacking involved broadcasting a bizarre video featuring a masked figure and a distorted voice. The incident was investigated by the FCC and the FBI, but no one was ever caught. Two theories emerged about the identity of the hijackers: one involved a musician named Eric Fournier, but his friends and former bandmates denied the allegations. The other theory involved two brothers who were part of the same Chicago computer scene as one of the witnesses to the hijacking, but the witness did not make the connection until 25 years later.

The podcast hosts discuss the infamous Max Headroom hack, where a hijacker interrupted two television broadcasts in Chicago in 1987. The identity of the hijacker remains unknown to this day, and the hack has become a legendary moment in hacker culture. The hosts also read a listener mail about the Allman Brothers Band and their album "Eat a Peach." The hosts encourage listeners to reach out to them on social media or email to engage in discussions or send feedback.