30 Years Ago: Max Headroom Hijacked Chicago TV

(CBS) -- Today is the 30th anniversary of one of the most bizarre episodes in the history of local broadcasting.

WBBM's Rob Hart looks back at the exploits of the Video Pirate.

Airwave pirates broke onto two Chicago television stations on Nov. 22, 1987. Someone wearing a Max Headroom mask appeared for several seconds. (YouTube/jonrev)

Channel 2 anchor Bill Kurtis was among the journalists trying to explain what happened late in the evening of Nov. 22, 1987.

Someone dressed as the science fiction character Max Headroom broke into programming on Channel 9 and Channel 11.

The Channel 9 intrusion had no audio. But when the pirate hacked channel 11 two hours later, Max Headroom "spoke," albeit in garbled audio.

The video pirate has never been caught. It's the city's version of a perfect crime.