Video - Max Headroom: The Bizarre Broadcast Hijacking

The Max Headroom Broadcast Intrusion Duration: 45-60 seconds November 22, 1987: Chicago viewers watching Doctor Who suddenly saw their broadcast hijacked by someone wearing a Max Headroom mask. The masked figure appeared again later that night on another channel, this time with audio. The bizarre 90-second transmission included nonsensical ramblings, humming the theme to Clutch Cargo, and the figure being spanked with a flyswatter. The FCC launched an investigation. The signal hijacking required expensive equipment and technical expertise. Despite a $10,000 reward, the culprits were never identified. Some believe it was disgruntled TV station employees. Others think it was hackers proving a point about media control. To this day, it remains the most infamous broadcast intrusion in American television history.