John R. MacDougall was a satellite technician who was fed up with HBO charging extra fees for satellite dish owners. One night during his shift at a Florida uplink station, he pointed a powerful dish at the same satellite HBO was using and temporarily replaced their broadcast with his own full screen message. Viewers across the country suddenly saw a bright test pattern with text protesting HBO’s subscription pricing.

The intrusion worked because early satellite feeds used weak signal authentication and uplink security. MacDougall knew the frequencies, had the hardware, and had a few seconds of perfect timing. The signal lasted less than five minutes but it caused a nationwide stir and became one of the most famous broadcast hacks in history.

Even today it stands as a reminder that the early satellite era was built on trust, open signals, and gaps wide enough for a clever technician to slip through.

#HackingHistory #BroadcastHack #SatelliteTech #RetroTech #Infosec