First published at 16:58 UTC on June 19th, 2020.
Vrillon Message on Southern Television
Local news bulletins don’t often become the news generally. A little after 5:00 pm on Saturday 26 November 1977 "47 years ago", the transmission of the local UK station Southern Television news bulle…
MORE
Vrillon Message on Southern Television
Local news bulletins don’t often become the news generally. A little after 5:00 pm on Saturday 26 November 1977 "47 years ago", the transmission of the local UK station Southern Television news bulletin made worldwide headlines when it was overridden by an external broadcast from an individual claiming to be Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command. And the mystery has never been solved.
Vrillon Message Overrides Newscast
As newscaster Andrew Gardner recited the days’ events in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), the scheduled bulletin began to and an eerie broadcast took over in its stead. The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) engineers based in Croydon, Surrey had no idea that their regularly scheduled news bulletin had been hacked by an outside source. This rogue signal was also oblivious to the main transmitter located in Southampton. The only people that were aware of something bizarre taking place were the viewers themselves. Some panicked, while others were unmoved. The video feed remained intact, but the audio was suppressed by a spokesman identifying himself as Vrillon. His six-minute message went as follows:
This is the voice of Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, speaking to you. For many years you have seen us as lights in the skies. We speak to you now in peace and wisdom as we have done to your brothers and sisters all over this, your planet Earth. We come to warn you of the destiny of your race and your world so that you may communicate to your fellow beings the course you must take to avoid the disaster which threatens your world, and the beings on our worlds around you…
BEGINNING OF VRILLON BROADCAST
Hacking the Signal
The IBA moved quickly to dispel fears and concerns among their viewership, declaring that the broadcast was a hoax. A technically gifted one, but a hoax nonetheless. Whoever, or whatever, was responsible for the broadcast interruption would almost certainly have excellent and in-depth knowledge of broadcasting capabilities and frequencies in order to pull off the interruption. The Huntingdon transmitter, where the Southern TV signal was normally broadcast from, was actually a unique example that could explain why Southern TV became the victim here. The Huntingdon signal actually originated at the "Rowbridge transmitter" on the Isle of Wight. Overriding this FM signal was quite an easy thing for the right person to accomplish.
LESS