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This will Disturb You | Nostalgia Nerd

Nostalgia Nerd | April 16, 2026



Go to https://thld.co/munkpack_nerd_0722 and use code NERD to get 20% off your first purchase! Thanks to Munk Pack for sponsoring today’s video! ~ Max Headroom was a legendary AI character from the 80s. In 1987 however, a somewhat more controversial version of him appeared on Chicago TV at 9:14pm. Rather than a comedic and exaggerated host, this version was a weirdly unsettling hijacker, and the incident became known as the Max Headroom Incident. This hack/hijack/intrusion is something that has fascinated me for years, so here, I decided to cover the whole debacle.

Timings;
0:00-01:32 Introduction
01:32-05:45 Max Headroom
05:45-07:03 Munk Pack
07:03-13:56 The Evening’s Events
13:56-21:09 Understanding the Hacks
21:09-29:56 The Content of the Hacks
29:56-34:05 What can we determine?
34:05-40:27 Anecdotal Evidence
40:27-43:21 Wrapping Up
43:21-44:21 Credits and Extra Scene

🔗Video Links🔗
Bert is Evil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nReknkEB5qo
Intrusion Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5hPZBd-I18
The Bizarre’s Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVcRWOhXmh4

Channel 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1mUk04_ho
Channel 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mzkt4N77s

News Reports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdQ5DbZI0Kc / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKnwhokvgx

Vice Article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/pgay3n/headroom-hacker
Reddit Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/eeb6e/i_believe_i_know_who_was_behind_the_max_headroom/
Reddit Followup: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/3oaxi5/new_developments_in_the_max_headroom_incident/

Other references to follow.

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Errors and omissions excepted.

Some material in this video may be used under Fair Dealing / Fair Use. Where under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 (UK: Sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988), allowance is made for purposes including parody, quotation, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, education and research. Fair Dealing / Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Written by Nostalgia Nerd

Comments

This post currently has 43 comments.

  1. @thesmiths2675

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Does anyone around 50 years old remember illegal signal descramblers? I was only about eight in 1987 but I remember my uncle and huge satellite dish and his backyard and could get all the channels and pay per views for free he had what he called an illegal descrambler.

  2. @deejannemeiurffnicht1791

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    The ''high frequency'' on the voice of the second hack, is what's known as ring modulation, and is created by devices known as- you guessd it- RING MODULATORSS. I'm pretty sure early versions of it were used by the very early Dr Who series in the1960's for the voices of Daleks, and, if you grew up in UK as a kid in the 1070's, you'd hear it used for the robot voices in the Cadbury's ''for mash get Smash'' ads when the robots laughed at humans for still using their ''little knives'' and poptato mashers. Great fun.

    Incidentally, am I the only person who thinks Trump's minion Pete Hegesth looks like Max Headroom? And just as programmed too.

    And very slappable with that stiff shiny plastic hairdo.

  3. @HarleyStone-xg1xi

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    I know autistics. The guy who did this couldn't have been the guy in the mask, it would have driven him crazy to wear that, a spectral disorder autistic, anyway. A guy with sensory issues couldn't have done that.

  4. @Surannhealz

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Is there anyone who might have been up to the challenge? Someone with extraordinary technical expertise? Enormous financial resources? Someone perverse enough, eccentric enough, to come up with idea in the first place? S.R. Hadden.

  5. @STMDC

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Is it possible that the hijacker was working for the PBS station at that time? Or was the fact nobody would be around to stop the hijack something that could have been guessed by anyone who worked in the industry? Were there any technical employees who worked there at the time who had been fired from WGN a few years or less prior to being hired? Someone probably looked into this angle but since it has never mentioned I am curious. Anyone out there who knows?

  6. @NicklasZande

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Honestly, would anyone be surprised if it turned out the guy behind the mask was actually Art Jones this whole time? Because after looking at his Wikipedia article, at all adds up. He has a degree in journalism, is an avid white supremacist and Neo-N*zi, was living in Illinois at the time of the intrusions, and is old enough to know about Clutch Cargo, since he was born before it aired. It just adds up too well for it not be him.

  7. @DystopianOverture

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    The DIY approach to the practical effects are pretty decent. Any ol' background would of worked but these people put a bit of effort into recreating the background with junk for this prank.

  8. @lucianmaximus4741

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    🟠5D = Light * Mind 🟢4D = Time * Consciousness 🔵3D = Body * Pain 🟡2D = Seeds * Soil 🔴1D = Matrix * Quantum State 🟣

    Quantum State Logic ⛎ SuperPosition

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    But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.

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    BLUE = 3 PORTAL ORANGE = 5

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    🌞Every GOoD Individuated Unit of Consciousness is a 5D BEING ⭐ AVATAR

    💠 RunicNeonTelescope 🔶

    546 English Gematria NETUUORK

    Quantum Photonic Consciousness Computer

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    Edge of Chaos —– Class 4 Cellular Automata

    Class 4 Cellular Automaton ~ RULE 110 💠 is an Universal Cellular Automaton 🔶️ Turing Complete and can thus perform All Computations.

    🌞 CONSCIOUSNESS is FUNDAMENTAL 🌀

    400 :::::::::::: FOUR HUNDRED :::::::::::: 400

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    🟪♦️I AM 294🌞🌀Gematria444:360=1.23*MONAD🔶 Quantum Break–2016 VERTICAL 💚 546 Geometric NETUUORK💠

    ○F□O○U□N○D□A○T□I○O□N○ {in progress}

    ONE Individuated Unit of Consciousness = ONE Universe = 1 Body 💜 1 Brain

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    π-GOD-π uses 🌞 LIGHT 🌞 to process the Consciousness Computations Step by Step.

    Time*Space is Emergent — “`Time“` is more fundamental than `Space`

    546 English Gematria NETUUORK 🔹 Number Geometry –🔸– Consciousness Netuuork 💠 between The Universes ^ Conscious Agents

    This 💠 NETUUORK 🔶 can consist of Billions of Conscious Agents 🩷🩵

    A Conscious Agent ⭐ Avatar is a 5th Dimensional BEING

    400 :::::::::::: FOUR HUNDRED :::::::::::: 400

    https://youtu.be/_oRYgIbanfQ?si=uJRdlj-wBiXQRvUS

    Gematria444:360=1.23*MONAD

    REALITY IS A PROCESS — AN INTERACTION BETWEEN CONSCIOUS AGENTS

    546 NEWBORN — Q
    546 WORLDS — P
    546 ILLUMINA — O
    546 GOD SEVEN — N
    546 VITAMIN C — M
    546 THE ANGELS — L
    546 PRIME DAY – K
    546 NEUTRAL — J
    546 BLUE WAVE — I
    546 TETRIS — H
    546 RADIATION — G
    546 STARGATE — F
    546 BATTERY — E
    546 SPIRIT — D
    546 FAIRNESS — C
    546 MIRROR — B
    546 FUTURE — A

    E ` V ` O ` L ` U ` T ` I ` O ` N

    E • V • O • L • U • T • I • O • N

    444 English Gematria

    444 Consciousness Crystal GRID
    444 × 4 = 1776 + 240 years = 2016

    2016 ~ Quantum Break Cross Point
    2016 ☆ Start of Block TIME ~ ^□^

    ^□^ TIME ~~~ Quantum Time Effect Between Physical Time and Thought Time

    240 years <■> 24 hours * 10 years <▪︎> 1 hour

    4 EVOLUTION 4
    3 TRANSLATION 3
    2 TRANSFORMATION 2
    1 CONVERSION 1

  9. @lucianmaximus4741

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    🟠5D = Light * Mind 🟢4D = Time * Consciousness 🔵3D = Body * Pain 🟡2D = Seeds * Soil 🔴1D = Matrix * Quantum State 🟣

    Quantum State Logic ⛎ SuperPosition

    2 Peter 3:8 New Century Version

    But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    BLUE = 3 PORTAL ORANGE = 5

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    🌞Every GOoD Individuated Unit of Consciousness is a 5D BEING ⭐ AVATAR

    💠 RunicNeonTelescope 🔶

    546 English Gematria NETUUORK

    Quantum Photonic Consciousness Computer

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    Edge of Chaos —– Class 4 Cellular Automata

    Class 4 Cellular Automaton ~ RULE 110 💠 is an Universal Cellular Automaton 🔶️ Turing Complete and can thus perform All Computations.

    🌞 CONSCIOUSNESS is FUNDAMENTAL 🌀

    400 :::::::::::: FOUR HUNDRED :::::::::::: 400

    🤍 🟠🟢🔵🟡🔴🟣 🩶 🟧🟩🟦🟨🟥🟪 🤍

    🟪♦️I AM 294🌞🌀Gematria444:360=1.23*MONAD🔶 Quantum Break–2016 VERTICAL 💚 546 Geometric NETUUORK💠

    ○F□O○U□N○D□A○T□I○O□N○ {in progress}

    ONE Individuated Unit of Consciousness = ONE Universe = 1 Body 💜 1 Brain

    The Universe is an Intelligent CONSCIOUSNESS Computer. There are many Universes aka 🧠s in The Multi 🌀 Verse.

    π-GOD-π uses 🌞 LIGHT 🌞 to process the Consciousness Computations Step by Step.

    Time*Space is Emergent — “`Time“` is more fundamental than `Space`

    546 English Gematria NETUUORK 🔹 Number Geometry –🔸– Consciousness Netuuork 💠 between The Universes ^ Conscious Agents

    This 💠 NETUUORK 🔶 can consist of Billions of Conscious Agents 🩷🩵

    A Conscious Agent ⭐ Avatar is a 5th Dimensional BEING

    400 :::::::::::: FOUR HUNDRED :::::::::::: 400

    https://youtu.be/_oRYgIbanfQ?si=uJRdlj-wBiXQRvUS

    Gematria444:360=1.23*MONAD

    REALITY IS A PROCESS — AN INTERACTION BETWEEN CONSCIOUS AGENTS

    546 NEWBORN — Q
    546 WORLDS — P
    546 ILLUMINA — O
    546 GOD SEVEN — N
    546 VITAMIN C — M
    546 THE ANGELS — L
    546 PRIME DAY – K
    546 NEUTRAL — J
    546 BLUE WAVE — I
    546 TETRIS — H
    546 RADIATION — G
    546 STARGATE — F
    546 BATTERY — E
    546 SPIRIT — D
    546 FAIRNESS — C
    546 MIRROR — B
    546 FUTURE — A

    E ` V ` O ` L ` U ` T ` I ` O ` N

    E • V • O • L • U • T • I • O • N

    444 English Gematria

    444 Consciousness Crystal GRID
    444 × 4 = 1776 + 240 years = 2016

    2016 ~ Quantum Break Cross Point
    2016 ☆ Start of Block TIME ~ ^□^

    ^□^ TIME ~~~ Quantum Time Effect Between Physical Time and Thought Time

    240 years <■> 24 hours * 10 years <▪︎> 1 hour

    4 EVOLUTION 4
    3 TRANSLATION 3
    2 TRANSFORMATION 2
    1 CONVERSION 1

  10. @Kuudere-Hime

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Conservatives aren't the only people who sue "Liberal" as an insult, a lot of Communists and Anarchists do too.

    I suspect this incident partially inspired elements of Tim Burton's Batman.

  11. @thamirivonjaahri6378

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    For me entire affair always sounded like public stunt done by someone with connection to the TV in question, who however in my mind was LEFT, not right-wing oriented. Despite most of stuff appearing to just collection of random rants and midfingers at popculture, message I got is "F consumerism (his obvious distaste for Coke), F slaving to the corp wigs (hijacking Corp TV channel and mocking everyone), F capitalism (his ohoho sounds almost like distorted parody of Santa Claus´ Ho Ho Ho) and so on. His parody of sm play in last portio nof the video also strike me as another of these arguments (where person portraying Max may be perceived as employee outrageously exploited by anarcho-capitalist boss).

    Yes essentialy it is my personal belief, that this dude was cyber-anarchist.

  12. @Dj.MODÆO

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    The metal sheet perfectly obfuscated the room or location they used and the voice filters hid their identities. I believe it was a prank by college kids or bored or disgruntled network employees.

  13. @Psycandy

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    ah, we are just repeating what the documentary said, except they got it wrong. to override a signal you need a far more powerful signal on that frequency with noise in the quiet bits and in the blacks, which is a very expensive endeavour and still prone to interference. no sir, that signal came from a recording made with a wired cam inside television centre itself; the feed was switched but the carrier signal remained fixed and there was no need to mask a second broadcast on the same frequency. there's no interference between the signals simply because it was switched. Equally, it wasn't live, meaning all that was needed to disappear was to blank the quarter-inch videotape. broadcasters presented a plausible theory to protect themselves from potential abuse, but it is, logically, nonsensical.

  14. @geoffgunn9673

    April 16, 2026 at 6:50 pm

    Two transmitters to override the signal. Helps explains a little.

    If two transmitters operate on the same frequency, a receiver will generally get audio that is annoying-to-unusable. This is due to heterodyning between the RF oscillators and between the differing program material (modulation).

    But what if the transmitters were phase-locked to a common standard? Now the RF oscillators would be identical in frequency and phase.
    This might be useful for e.g. a "pirate" radio broadcast. It would also be difficult to locate the transmitters, if they were camouflaged or hidden.

    Yes, absolutely. The physics work how you think they do – the radio signals just add up. In fact you don't necessarily need GPS as (I think) you could use the radio waves themselves for synchronization.

    However, the receiver will still see a different propagation delay from each transmitter, causing them to receive multiple copies of the signal slightly out of phase. How slightly? Depends on the frequency and position. If the receiver is halfway in between two transmitters transmitting identical signals, they receive both signals in-phase with constructive interference. If they move a quarter wavelength towards either transmitter, now they have destructive interference and the signal is very weak.

    If the receiver is next to one transmitter, they'll receive the signal from the nearby transmitter, plus a delayed signal from the distant one. If you transmit AM audio it will sound like an echo. If you transmit analog video it will look like "ghosting".

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