On Saturday, November 26, 1977 at 5:10 p.m. in the United Kingdom, a mysterious voice who called himself “Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command” performed an illegal broadcast on live television during the height of an evening news program.
The transmission lasted for over five minutes. This weird electronic voice – accompanied by a strange pulsating sound, echoes, and eerie distortions – overrode the normal audio broadcast signal in order to recite a lengthy statement warning viewers of an impending global disaster should humanity continue on its present course. (The hijack did not effect the video portion of the news broadcast and the illegal voice transmission was superimposed over the existing audio).
Near the end of what authorities have termed as a “rogue transmission,” parts of cartoon dialog can be heard, including the “Looney Tunes” theme song, the sound of an explosion, strange chatter, and other noises. The illegal broadcast was investigated by UK authorities who were unable to determine the source of the signal or who might have sent it. It is assumed that the broadcast was a hoax perpetrated by someone who sent a signal powerful enough to override the station’s VHF transmitters, but in the past 30 years, no one has ever claimed responsibility for the hijack.
