Max Headroom signal hijacking

Case summary

On the night of 22 November 1987, broadcasts of two Chicago TV stations were interrupted by a figure in a Max Headroom mask. The second intrusion lasted 90 seconds and seized WTTW's transmitter. Despite FCC and FBI investigations the perpetrators were never found; the incident remains the reference case for broadcast-infrastructure security.

Timeline

1. 1987-11-22At 21:14, WGN-TV's sports segment was interrupted for 28 seconds. There was no audio.
2. 1987-11-22At 23:15, WTTW's Doctor Who broadcast was interrupted for 90 seconds. This time there was audio.
3. 1987-11-23The FCC and FBI opened a joint investigation.
4. 1988The investigation effectively stalled with no suspect identified.
5. 2010-11A Reddit 'I knew the perpetrators' narrative could not be verified.

People and connections

• WGN-TV / WTTWOrganisation

  The two interrupted stations; their transmitter setups differed.

• Sears Tower (STL)Place

  Assessed as where the STL (studio-transmitter link) was overpowered.

• Max HeadroomPerson

  Never identified; assessed to have worked with at least one accomplice.

• Max Headroom to WGN-TV / WTTWTwo separate STL links overpowered the same night

Findings

Every finding lists its source and date. Interpretation stays in the researcher's note.

• Both intrusions are fully documented by broadcast recordings and witnesses; the footage is archived.

  VerifiedSource: Station recordings1987-11

• That the attack overpowered the STL frequency with a stronger signal is technically highly probable.

  ProbableSource: FCC assessment1987-12

• The 2010 'I knew them' narrative produced no nameable evidence.

  UnverifiedSource: Motherboard verification attempt2013-11

Documents

• PhotographBroadcast intrusion framesFrames from the 90-second WTTW intrusion.
• DocumentFCC incident assessmentSignal-strength and probable transmitter-location analysis.

Sources

1. 01

   Max Headroom signal hijacking

   Wikipedia, 2026, Encyclopedia entry

   Open source
2. 02

   The Mystery of the Creepiest Television Hack

   Vice Motherboard, 2013, Investigation feature

   Open source
3. 03

   Chicago Tribune contemporary coverage

   Chicago Tribune, 1987, Contemporary reporting

   Open source

Locations

• Chicago broadcast tower corridor41.88°, -87.63°

Researcher's note

Interpretation: the event is fully recorded, yet the perpetrator remains unknown. The case shows that having plenty of evidence does not always make attribution possible. The 2010 Reddit claim felt coherent, but it could not be verified.