Then, as suddenly as before, the video cut out. Two hours after the first episode, the Max Headroom impersonator was back - this time on Channel 11.Īt 11:15 pm, the PBS affiliate WWTW was airing a Doctor Who episode titled 'The Horror of Fang Rock.' To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image. Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. However, their search was unsuccessful, as the broadcast turned out to be a pre-recording from a third party at a separate location. Studio engineers assumed that the hijack was an inside job and immediately began searching the building for the masked intruder. 'Well, if you're wondering what's happened,' he said, clearly as confused as the viewers, '.ha-ha.so am I.'Īfter the brief interruption, Roan continued his previously scheduled broadcast.

The figure bobbed around in front of the spinning background as a buzzing noise played.Īfter 30 seconds, signal engineers at WGN, who broadcasted Channel 9, switched the frequency of the studio link to another transmitter, bringing Dan Roan back to audiences' screens. There was hardly any sound, but the image was still frightening. Even the gray background behind the figure was reminiscent of the simulated background that appeared behind Headroom. Then, 15 seconds later, a new figure appeared.ĭressed in a rubber mask and wearing sunglasses, the mysterious intruder looked like artificial intelligence television character Max Headroom. In fact, everything disappeared from the screen as it flickered into darkness. Tonight, however, it would be different.Īt 9:14, Dan Roan disappeared from the screen. It was his usual spot during Channel 9's 'Nine O'Clock News' segment, one he had been doing for years, always the same.

22, 1987, Chicago sportscaster Dan Roan was covering the highlights of the Bears' recent victory over the Detroit Lions. The Max Headroom hack came entirely out of the blue. During the Max Headroom hack of 1987, Chicago television stations were overtaken by a masked man who continues to baffle authorities to this day.

The max headroom incident