Buzz
Long before the rise of computers and the Internet, hacking has been a persistent challenge. While we typically associate it with compromised email accounts, websites, and cloud servers, hackers have also targeted a wide range of other systems, including live television transmissions.
For decades, hackers have infiltrated television networks. Some of the most infamous breaches took place during the 1970s and 1980s. These intruders disrupted live shows by inserting unauthorized audio or video content, and in some cases, they completely hijacked broadcasts to air their own material.
10. Southern Television
On November 26, 1977, the now-defunct Southern Television was hacked several minutes into its 5:00 PM news broadcast. (Southern Television is currently part of ITV in the UK.) While viewers could still see the newscaster, Andrew Gardner, his voice was completely replaced.
Instead of Gardner’s voice, audiences heard someone claiming to be an alien named Vrillon, who identified himself as a representative of an extraterrestrial group known as the Ashtar Galactic Command.
For six minutes, Vrillon urged humanity to abandon warfare, demanding the destruction of all weapons and advocating for a peaceful existence. He emphasized that only those who embraced peace would ascend to what he described as “the higher realms of spiritual evolution.”
As the broadcast continued, Gardner kept reading the news while Southern Television engineers scrambled to restore the audio. Most viewers assumed it was either a prank or a technical error. The identity of the hacker remains a mystery.
9. HBO
On the night of April 27, 1986, a hacker infiltrated HBO’s satellite feed during a live broadcast of the film The Falcon and the Snowman. Identifying himself as Captain Midnight, the hacker took control of the satellite for four and a half minutes, replacing the movie with a static image displaying a message that read:
GOODEVENING HBO FROM CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT $12.95/MONTH ? NO WAY ! [SHOWTIME/MOVIE CHANNEL BEWARE!]
Investigators later identified the hacker as John MacDougall, an engineer and satellite dish vendor who harbored a personal grudge against HBO.
In the early 1980s, satellite dish owners could access any satellite-broadcasted content, including cable networks. However, channels like HBO began encrypting their signals, requiring viewers to purchase descramblers. HBO also imposed a $12.95 monthly fee for access, which hurt satellite dish sellers like MacDougall, as demand for dishes declined.
MacDougall retaliated against HBO using equipment from the satellite transmission station where he was employed. His role involved uploading movies to satellites. That evening, after uploading a film, he redirected the equipment to HBO’s satellite and transmitted his message.
The Federal Communications Commission initiated an investigation and apprehended MacDougall a few months later. He received a lenient sentence, with the court ordering one year of probation and a $5,000 fine.
8. WGN And WTTW
Around 9:15 PM on November 22, 1987, a hacker breached WGN-TV in Chicago. The intrusion was short-lived, as WGN engineers quickly regained control of their signals. Undeterred, the hacker made another attempt later that same night.
This time, the hacker targeted WTTW, also located in Chicago. Similar to the WGN hack, the intruder replaced WTTW’s live broadcast with a video of a man wearing a bizarre mask. The masked individual performed several odd acts, including mocking WGN and having a woman spank his bare buttocks with a flyswatter. He also included an unsolicited advertisement for Pepsi.
This infamous event is now known as the Max Headroom Signal Intrusion. To this day, the hacker’s identity remains a mystery. Had he been caught, he would have faced a one-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine.
7. Playboy And American Exxxtasy
In September 1987, a hacker infiltrated the live broadcasts of two adult entertainment channels, American Exxxtasy and Playboy. The individual carried out three separate intrusions in a single day—twice on American Exxxtasy and once on Playboy. Each time, he replaced the channels’ content with a religious message.
The hacker was later identified as 38-year-old Thomas M. Haynie, an employee of the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN), a channel dedicated exclusively to Christian programming. Investigators alleged that Haynie used CBN’s equipment to execute the hacks, though CBN officials disputed this, claiming their equipment was incompatible with Playboy’s and American Exxxtasy’s systems.
Despite CBN’s claims, investigators maintained that the equipment was compatible and presented evidence linking CBN’s tools to the Playboy hack. Haynie faced one felony and one misdemeanor charge for the Playboy intrusion. Charges related to the American Exxxtasy hacks were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
6. Al-Manar
In August 2006, hackers affiliated with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) breached the Al-Manar television station, Hezbollah’s official broadcaster. The IDF replaced Al-Manar’s programming with images of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, accompanied by captions such as “Your day is coming, coming, coming.”
Additionally, the IDF displayed images of deceased Hezbollah fighters with captions like, “This is the body of a Hezbollah special forces member,” “Nasrallah is lying: we are not concealing our losses,” and “Numerous bodies like this remain on the battlefield, and Nasrallah is hiding this reality.”
These images were broadcast to refute Hezbollah’s claims of victory in the 2006 Lebanon War against Israel. During the conflict, Israel had bombed Al-Manar in an attempt to shut it down, but the station managed to survive and continued its broadcasts.
Around the same time as the Al-Manar hack, Israel also targeted several Hezbollah websites and radio stations. Furthermore, they sent voice and text messages to Lebanese citizens, assuring them that their attacks were aimed at Hezbollah and not Lebanese civilians.
5. The Weather Channel
On April 18, 2019, the Weather Channel fell victim to a hack. The intruder’s primary goal was to disrupt the channel’s regular programming rather than cause chaos. The attack occurred between 6:00 AM and 7:39 AM.
During the breach, the Weather Channel was compelled to air pre-recorded content. The network later released a statement describing the incident as a “malicious software attack.” Investigations uncovered that it was a ransomware attack, meaning the hacker demanded money in exchange for restoring normal operations.
4. Channels 2 And 10
In November 2016, a hacker simultaneously targeted Israeli television stations Channels 2 and 10. Both channels were airing their evening news when the hacker replaced their broadcasts with messages ridiculing Israel and implying that recent wildfires were divine punishment.
Earlier that month, wildfires had devastated parts of Israel, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, including 80,000 residents of Haifa. There were suspicions that some of the fires were deliberately set by Palestinian or pro-Arab arsonists.
The hacker also broadcast images of Islamic holy sites and played an audio of the Islamic call to prayer. This intrusion occurred around the time the Knesset was debating a bill to prohibit loudspeakers in religious buildings. While the bill applied to all religions, many believed it was specifically aimed at Muslims.
3. An ABC Affiliate In Wyoming
In 2006, an unnamed ABC affiliate serving Niobrara County, Wyoming, was allegedly hacked. The term “allegedly” is used because details about the incident are scarce, leading to doubts about its authenticity.
The station’s name remains unknown, and information about the event is limited. The video reportedly aired during the hack does exist, but its credibility is disputed. Despite this, those who believe it occurred refer to it as “The Wyoming Incident” or “The Wyoming Hijacking.”
The hacker allegedly interrupted the evening news with a five-minute clip featuring an animated head and various static texts. The first text read “SPECIAL PRESENTATION,” followed by messages like “YOU ARE ILL . . . WE JUST WANT TO FIX YOU” and “YOU WILL SEE SUCH PRETTY THINGS.”
The hack became notorious after viewers reportedly experienced headaches, nausea, memory loss, and hallucinations following the display of bizarre images accompanied by an irritating tone. Some viewers even vomited upon hearing the tone.
Some experts argue that the broadcast was not a hack or any form of paranormal activity, as some suggested. They believe the tone that caused illness was likely the result of signal interference with the television broadcast. According to these experts, the tone’s frequency was capable of inducing hallucinations in those who heard it.
2. KVOA
In February 2009, KVOA in Tucson, Arizona, was hacked during a live broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The intrusion only affected Tucson viewers watching the game on KVOA via Comcast.
The hacker interrupted the game with 30 seconds of pornographic content featuring a couple engaged in what viewers described as “a graphic act.” Many initially mistook it for a commercial until the explicit nature became unmistakable. The footage was traced to Club Jenna, an adult cable channel.
Comcast was deeply embarrassed by the incident and offered an $10 credit to 80,000 affected customers. Two years later, the FBI identified the hacker as Frank Tanori Gonzalez, who was employed by Cox Cable at the time of the hack.
1. KRTV
In February 2013, KRTV, a Montana-based station, was hacked during a broadcast of The Steve Wilkos Show. The intruder breached KRTV’s emergency alert system to warn viewers of a supposed zombie invasion in Montana. The hacker claimed that zombies were rising from their graves and had already overrun parts of the state, advising viewers to avoid the undead.
The warning was dismissed as a joke, with Gawker speculating it might have been a promotional stunt for The Walking Dead. However, the hack was genuine; investigations revealed the hacker had attempted to breach other stations unsuccessfully. The perpetrator’s identity remains unknown.
