Chicago Max Headroom piracy incident

[dan]

I found this through the Snopes message board. Two comments: one, I think it's cool that this guy was never found, and two, this creeps me out for some reason. I couldn't imagine seeing this live! Anyway, here's the story....

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. The man was never caught.

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Since it's such crappy quality, here's a (partial) transcript, too:

"He's a freaking 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..."