Ashtar Galactic Command

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtar_Galactic_Command

I had vaguely heard of this, but I came across an actual off-air on Private Parts today. I found it most unnerving, to be honest - not because it's remotely plausible now, but just the way it *sounds* - the interference, and the 'heartbeat' noise in particular.

Does anyone have any more information about it? Everywhere I look, it says the culprits were never found. Apart from on sites where mad people think its proof of aliens, of course.

Funnily enough, I was discussing this and pirate tv in general with my dad earlier, as I said that it seemed to be pretty common (or at least it was) to see a hijacked tv broadcast of some form in the US, but not so in the UK.

The only example i'd read and indeed heard about was this Vrillion - it is indeed an unnerving recording, especially that bit at the end with the rising tone. He did sound like a mysteron though!

http://ashtar.galactic.to/

There was a Max Headroom incident in the US, though that had (slightly disturbing) visuals, as well as audio.

Yes. I say it's not convincing now - but just imagine what it would have been like, with that suddenly breaking through unexpected in the 70s. Quite different from simply listening to it on a computer and expecting it - and it shat me up slightly anyway...

They surely must have had some decent equipment to be able to do that. Which makes it all the more weird nobody was ever caught.



Oh dear.

The broadcast (I heard it for myself at the time) was thought to be carried out by students. It affected Hannington's ITV transmitter serving the Thames Valley. They simply swamped out the audio carrier from the input feed station at Rowridge, and replaced it with theirs. A few months later it is thought they were behind placing a fake ad in Wireless World from the IBA for a post of 'Radio transmission security officer". The same group are also thought to have disrupted the link to Rowridge's Radio 1/2 FM transmitter, and played two hour's worth of BBC banned records during John Peel's show.