While the tale of Max Headroom hacking into two Chicago TV stations in one night would be eclipsed by the death, a week later, of Harold Washington, Chicago's first black mayor, the theories began piling up online. The speculation that would eventually reach places like reddit began on Chicago's bulletin board systems, places with names like Ripco, Overdrive, and God's Country. On the Tolmes News Service BBS, dial-up "modemers" reacted to the signal intrusion with curiosity and awe and hacker pride. Two days later, at least one person, someone with the BBS handle "The Chamelion" (the author of a text file called "Computer Terror and Distruction" [sic]) seemed to know more.As I said before, it's one of those things that doesn't work out on paper. But it works. Welcome to Earth—Where everything you know is wrong.
87Nov24 6:18 am from The Chamelion This morning of ABC's World News This Morning, there was a story about all the broadcast overrides. We've gotten WGN, WWOR, and the superatation out of Kansas, KTAT, I believe. He said "The FCC is looking into how someone could intercept broadcasts". I've studied this for a long time, and believe me, it's not hard. Especially overriding superstations. They showed a videotape of what was transmitted. It was Bo A homemade Max Headroom. It was pretty neat. We'll strike again. I can guarantee it. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 87Nov25 11:27 am from Milo Phonbil Who's "we", lizard-face? --------------------------------------------------------------------- 87Nov29 9:05 pm from The Slipped Disk So wait… How did these dudes in Chi town do it? I saw the transmission. Very witty. Inside job, you think? --------------------------------------------------------------------- 87Nov30 6:02 am from The Chamelion Hardly an inside job. They just aimed their transmitter at the same transponder that WGN uses, and used a higher power. It doesn't even have to be significantly higher. Just more, and the WGN signal will cancel out. As I said before, it's one of those things that doesn't work out on paper. But it works. Welcome to Earth--Where everything you know is wrong. ---------------------------------------------------------------------