WTTW-TV
WTTW-TV (Channel 11) is the Chicago, Illinois member station of the Public Broadcasting Service. The station began broadcasting in 1955 and is owned and operated by Windows to the World Communications Inc. (Windows to the World), a not-for-profit broadcasting entity. WTTW continues to broadcast its educational and informational programming in part because of the continued support of its viewers and funding by other not-for-profit organizations such as the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. WTTW also owns and operates 'The Chicago Production Center' a video production and editing facility and a classical music radio station WFMT located at 98.7FM. WTTW distributes The McLaughlin Group to public television stations independently of PBS.
Hijack
On November 22, 1987 at 11:00pm Central Standard Time WTTW's broadcast signal was hijacked by an unknown person wearing a Max Headroom mask during a telecast of the Doctor Who serial Horror of Fang Rock for about 90 seconds. This was the second incident that night involving the interruption of a television station's broadcast signal. Approximately 2 hours prior to the WTTW incident another Chicago television station WGN-TV had their broadcast hijacked by the same Max Headroom masked person during the 9 O'Clock News sports report. WTTW, which maintains it's transmitter atop the Sears Tower, found that it's engineers were helpless because at the time there were no engineers on duty at the Sears Tower. Also, it's master control center was unable to contact their transmitting equipment remotely to switch the STL (Studio To Transmitter Link) unlike their counterparts at WGN-TV, who were able thwart the intruder by switching their John Hancock Building transmitter STL remotely within seconds.
See alsoChicagoland Television Stations
External linksWTTW-TV Channel 11 Chicago Official WebsiteWFMT-FM 98.7FM Chicago Official WebsiteThe Chicago Production CenterPublic Broadcasting Service Official WebsitePublic Domain video of WTTW-TV Channel 11 broadcast signal being hacked available at TVParty.com
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