'Captain Midnight' pwns HBO
Just after midnight on April 27, 1986, John MacDougall, a satellite TV dealer in Ocala, Fla., hijacked HBO's satellite signal in order to broadcast his own protest over rates being charged dish owners. The message read: "GOODEVENING HBO … FROM CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT … $12.95/MONTH? … NO WAY! … [SHOWTIME/MOVIE CHANNEL BEWARE!]" The stunt preempted HBO's showing of "The Falcon and the Snowman" for four-and-a-half minutes, earned "Captain Midnight" worldwide notoriety, and eventually cost MacDougall a fine of $5,000 and a year's probation.
