A closer look
In 1977, an unknown prankster overrode the audio transmitter of a UK regional news broadcast to deliver a six-minute booming message from 'Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command.' As the anchor awkwardly sat on screen, the pirate signal ordered humanity to abandon its weapons of evil or face destruction. The hijacking was so technically sophisticated that thousands of viewers panicked, genuinely believing aliens had chosen a low-budget Southern Television news hour as their primary diplomatic channel.
