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Ashtar Command (TV Intrusion: November 1977)

JurekB

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Interupted TV Broadcast

I remember reading a few years ago in, I believe, Encounters magazine a tale about a TV programme being interupted for a good few minutes by another broadcast.
I believe the broadcast was basically a voice purporting to be from some alien race and issuing dire warnings about the future of mankind. I'm also fairly sure that this only effected a small part of the UK, possibly the southeast.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
 
Nice one folks, but none of this sounds right. The magazine article as i remember it put the story across as a bona fide mystery, possibly occuring sometime in the seventies. I can't find the thread Xanatic mentions, the search facility draws a complete blank. Perhaps the MiB's are onto me and removed all traces!
 
The Bords' Modern Mysteries Of Britain has a bit on this. Apparently the voice was heard during the news on Southern TV on 26th November 1977, and lasted five and a half minutes!

It claimed to be "Gramaha the representative of the Asta Galactic Command", and gave all the usual warnings about nuclear weapons and stuff about the age of Aquarius and a new dawn for Humanity. According to the book (which prints a transcript of the beginning of the message) tapes of it do exist!

Officially labelled a student hoax, though no one quite knows how "they" did it. I suppose Gramaha got a bit annoyed at being taken for a stude and buggered off back to Asta, wherever that might be;)

If you can get your mitts on a copy of the book (during the early 90s no library's weird stuff / spooky occult section was complete without one!) you can find it on pages 174 - 5.

For some reason I'm put in mind of that .Not The Nine O' Clock News sketch with Rowan Atkinson as a similarly doom spouting alien ("Beware the one known as Terry Wogan") who breaks into the news, but falls foul of his dodgy Woolworths translator gizmo...
 
This sounds like a hoax TV broadcast sent out on the Isle of Wight.

It was claimed that some students had broadcast their hoax message &/or film along the micro-wave beam that supplied the local transmitter.

They set up their equipment on a hill sufficently high as to be close to the micro-wave beam & although their transmision was low powered, it was stronger than the legit transmision that had been attenuated by distance.

The micro-wave receiver was programed to accept & broadcast the stongest signal.:D
 
Hurrah! Johnnyboy seems to have hit it on the head. Interesting that there might still be tapes of it around, I suppose someone just needs to find them. Thanks everyone.
 
Hmmm, lets see:
suddenly the picture disappeared and was replaced by a very grainy and jumpt image of a city absolutely teeming with people, there appeared to be many raised transparent tubes between buildings carrying people about the skyscape, and architecture of a very unusual type, with domes and skyscrapers everywhere, there was something of the movie Metropolis about this place which included flying vehicles and neon signs.

Was there a drunken robot called Bender and a woman with one eye called Lena?

Only a thought?

Uncle Bulgaria
 
Astar Command...this is the voice of...Who?

Does anyone have a recording, MPEG, whatever, of the Astar Command message? You know, the one that blotted out Anglia TV for twenty minutes in the 1970s (some would argue that this was all for the best).

And does anyone know who did it? Come on, someone must be bragging about this one somewhere.

Unless...nah.
 
Don't know about Mpegs, although I would love to hear it myself. For further discussion try this.
 
Old UK TV announcement

This thread has been dead for a long time, but does anyone remember anything about an announcement on one of TV channels in the UK in the late 70's - early 80's, allegedly from aliens? All I recall is that someone had enough power to take over the broadcasting for a short time to make an important announcement. Was it a spoof after all? I was in my teens at the time reading a lot of Heinlein and Bradbury, so I was thrilled!
I remember hearing about this on the BBC World Service, so it must have really happened.
 
Gloria - the incident you refer to took place on the 26th of September 1977. A voice calling itself 'Gramaha' of 'Asta Galactic Command' interrupted the broadcast by Southern Television. It spoke about 'the New Age of Aquarius' and warned against the evils of money and atomic energy.

It remains to be seen if this was a genuine broadcast or some rather clever hacking into a TV channel, probably by using a homemade transmitter ;) Southern TV thought it was probably a student hoax.
 
Thanks

Thanks for your speedy reply, JerryB! Now I certainly realize that if aliens had really wanted to make a stunning announcement, they would have taken all channels simultaneously, and not just in the UK. Obviously that's not what they're after ...
:eek!!!!:
 
just btw, there was a similar thread to this running some time back though I can't find it...and on which I owned up to an 'Orson Wells' type alien broadcast complete with ufo in an area of s.Manchester years ago, using a war surplus transmitter.:D
 
I don't know, but on the first site they have an IRC channel for talking with etheric beings and angels :eek:
 
Coincidentally, I happened to be researching this for my own site recently. According to "Commander Lady Athena" at the Ashtar Commands MSN Group:

"I confirm that this is The Ashtar Galactic Command’s authentic message transmitted as above, and given to Earth as a warning."

For Commander Athena's comments in full, plus a transcript of the Gramaha transmission, see

The Gramaha Transmission
Link is dead. No archived version found.


The Ashtar MSN group is also a valuable resource for fans of Valiant Thor (discussed elsewhere on the FT Message Board) and the delightfully named Omnec Onec .
 
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read most of it..seems like a whole load of b***cks,no proof no reason to beleve it.
just imagin the bloke next door openig your letter box and shouting this lot into it!
how would you react to it?
 
Thanks for the link, Graylien, but I'm still not clear whether Commander Lady Athena and her amazing friends were behind the transmission or inspired by it. I suppose they wouldn't say if they weren't the source back in '77.
 
The Ashtar Command has been around in various forms since the 1950's. It is probably unique among UFO cults in that it doesn't really have a leader or an organised hierarchy - it is simply a very loose coalition of trance mediums who all claim to be channeling the entity Ashtar.

Ashtar is notorious for spouting lengthy and extremely banal messages about peace and love mixed in with dire warnings about imminent "Earth Changes".

Most Ufologists don't consider the Ashtar Command worth commenting on, with the usual exception of John Keel, who had the following to say in his revised edition of Operation Trojan Horse:

Thousands of mediums, psychics and UFO contactees have been receiving mountains of messages from "Ashtar" in recent years. This has escalated in the '90's. Mr. Ashtar represents himself as a leader in the great intergalactic councils which hold regular meetings on Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and many planets unknown to us. But Ashtar is not a new arrival. Variations of this name, such as Ashtaroth, Ashtar, Asharoth, etc., appear in demonological literature throughout history, both in the Orient and the Occident. Mr. Ashtar has been around a very long time posing as assorted gods and demons and now, in the modern New Age phase, as another glorious spacemen.


Dr. Charles Laughead, an MD on the staff of Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan, started communicating with various entities "from outer space" in 1954, largely through trance mediums who served as instrument for Ashtar and his cronies from that great intergalactic council in the sky. A number of minor prophecies were passed along, and as usual, they came true on the nose. Then Ashtar tossed in his bombshell. The world was going to end on December 21, 1954, he announced convincingly.


North America was going to split in two, and the Atlantic coast would sink into the sea. France, England and Russia were also slated for a watery grave. However, all was not lost. A few chosen people would be rescued by spaceships. Naturally Dr. Laughead and his friends were among that select group. Dr. Laughhead made sober declarations to the press and on December 21, 1954 he and a group of his fellow believers clustered together in the garden to await rescue ... and waited. And waited. And waited!


In California, a man named Allen Noonan claims to have experienced still another variation of this particular mind-warping phenomenon. Soon after his discharge from the Army following World War II, Noonan went to work for a company handling outdoor billboards. One day, he says, he was working on a billboard when suddenly he was taken in astral form to a strange place. He found himself in a huge white building filled with white light. A group of "elders" were situated around a glowing throne, and a great voice boomed from that throne and asked "Will you agree to be the Savior of the World?"


Noonan quickly agreed to this role. Then he was told, "You may die in the hands of your fellowmen. Their sin shall remain with you until the Mother Comforter comes to deliver them."


The next thing he knew, he was back in his body working on the signboard. In later experiences, he allegedly visited other planets such as Venus, and he frequently received telepathic messages and instructions from our old friend Ashtar. In this case, he knew it as "the Ashtar Command and the United Planets Organization".


Allen Noonan is not the only Space Age messiah appointed by the Ashtar command...


In Denmark a man named Knud Weinking began receiving telepathic flashes in May, 1967, including a number of impressive prophecies which came true ..He was then instructed to build a lead-lined bomb shelter and prepare for a holocaust on December 24, 1967 ...


...Mediums, telepaths, sensitives, and UFO contactees throughout the world were all reporting identical messages. There was definitely going to be an unprecedented event on December 24, 1967. Ashtar was talking through Ouija boards to people who had never before heard the name. Another busy entity named Orlon was spreading the word. The curious thing about these messages was that they were all phrased in the same manner, no matter what language was being used. They all carried the same warning. People were reporting strange dreams, dreams about symbols of Christmas ... There were also stories about dead telephones and glowing entities prowling through bedroom and homes. Many of these messages, dreams and prophecies were collected together by a British organization calling itself Universal Links. The stage was set for Doomsday. Thousands, perhaps even millions, of people had been warned The Danish cult locked themselves up in their bomb shelter ... After the imaginary crisis had passed, the American wire services finally carried stories about the cowering Danes, ridiculing them, of course. But Mr. Weinking came up with a message that explained it all: "I told you two thousand years ago that a time would be given and even so I would not come. If you had read your Bible a little more carefully, you would have borne in mind the story of the bridegroom who did not come at the time he was expected. Be careful so that you are not found without oil in your lamps. I have told you I will come with suddenness, and I shall be coming soon!"


It was all a dry run, or was it? Actually, it was a rather impressive sequence of events , and it really proved something very important. Many predictions of the December twenty-fourth disaster had been well documented well in advance of that date. These messages came through in many different, countries, from people who had no knowledge of or communications with one another. The UFO contactees received the same identical messages as the trance mediums communing with spirits. A link had been established. It was now clear (to me anyway) that all of these people were tuned to a central source. (Possibly an earthly electronic device) My earlier speculations seemed true -- the UFO entities and the spirit entities were part of the same gigantic system. So more pieces of this tremendous puzzle were falling into place. A long series of events had apparently been staged to warn us of that tiger behind the door. Some of the entities were evil liars. They had ruined the lives of many by producing "proof" which led to false beliefs and irresponsible actions. Dr. Laughead and Knud Weinking had been victims in this enormous game. Many "New Agers" have become victims over the past several years.
 
I don't know if a good quality recording of it is available elsewhere, but I managed to get an incomplete copy of the Gramaha transmission off emule. The quality is very poor but you can still make out what he's saying(86k, audio only, very warbled and only a minute and a half long). If anybody wants a copy of it (in wmv format), then feel free to e-mail me. DON'T PM!!
 
Gramaha Transmission, 26 Nov 1977

"This is the voice of Gramaha , 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 disasters which threaten your world, and the beings on our worlds around you. This is in order that you may share in the great awakening, as the planet passes into the New Age of Aquarius. The New Age can be a time of great peace and evolution for your race, but only if your rulers are made aware of the evil forces that can overshadow their judgments.

"Be still now and listen, for your chance may not come again. For many years your scientists, government and generals have not heeded our warnings; they have continued to experiment with the evil forces of what you call nuclear energy. Atomic bombs can destroy the Earth, and the beings of your sister worlds, in a moment. The wastes from atomic power systems will poison your planet for many thousands of your years to come.

"We, who have followed the path of evolution for far longer than you, have long since realized this - that atomic energy is always directed against life. It has no peaceful application. Its use, and research into its use, must be ceased at once, or you all risk destruction. All weapons of evil must be removed.

"The time of conflict is now past. The race of which you are a part may proceed to the highest planes of evolution if you show yourselves worthy to do this. You have but a short time to learn to live together in peace and goodwill.

"Small groups all over the planet are learning this, and exist to pass on the light of the dawning New Age to you all. You are free to accept or reject their teachings, but only those who learn to live in peace will pass to the higher realms of spiritual evolution.

"Hear now the voice of Gramaha, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, speaking to you. Be aware also that there are many false prophets and guides operating in your world. They will suck your energy from you - the energy you call money and will put it to evil ends giving you worthless dross in return.

"Your inner divine self will protect you from this. You must learn to be sensitive to the voice within that can tell you what is truth, and what is confusion, chaos and untruth. Learn to listen to the voice of truth which is within you and you will lead yourselves on to the path of evolution.

"This is our message to our dear friends. We have watched you growing for many years as you too have watched our lights in your skies. You know now that we are here, and that there are more beings on and around your Earth than your scientists admit.

"We are deeply concerned about you and your path towards the light and will do all we can to help you. Have no fear, seek only to know yourselves, and live in harmony with the ways of your planet Earth. We of the Ashtar Galactic Command thank you for your attention. We are now leaving the plane of your existence. May you be blessed by the supreme love and truth of the cosmos."

The story goes that thousands of viewers heard the message which rudely interrupted the local evening news, but I wonder if this isn't an exaggeration along the lines of the mythical War of the World's panic - or even if the entire incident wasn't invented and fed to the press by zealous members of the Ashtar Command cult. Considering that very few people would have had a video recorder in 1977, and that no-one in their right mind tapes the local news, it's a little suspicious that the full text of the transmission has survived intact - and I can't find a single first-person account from anyone who claims to have heard the broadcast.
 
Re: Gramaha Transmission, 26 Nov 1977

graylien said:
The story goes that thousands of viewers heard the message which rudely interrupted the local evening news, but I wonder if this isn't an exaggeration along the lines of the mythical War of the World's panic - or even if the entire incident wasn't invented and fed to the press by zealous members of the Ashtar Command cult. Considering that very few people would have had a video recorder in 1977, and that no-one in their right mind tapes the local news, it's a little suspicious that the full text of the transmission has survived intact - and I can't find a single first-person account from anyone who claims to have heard the broadcast.

I wonder what kind of accent the speaker had if indeed he or she existed?
 
Re: Gramaha Transmission, 26 Nov 1977

graylien said:
....an exaggeration along the lines of the mythical War of the World's panic....

While the "War of the Worlds" panic has doubtless been exaggerated by later pundits, it was by no means "mythical." Born only three years after the event, I grew up listening to too many personal accounts to accept non-existent.
 
Does anybody remember the story of a strange tv transmission that was broadcast on the 'Southern' network during the mid-70's? (think just after the news).
It was later blamed on students but it claimed to be from an extraterrestial saying the usual stuff about mankind being punished if we did not clean up our act (regarding environment, nuclear weapons, etc).
I was a kid living in Brighton at the time and just about remember it; as I said, the network blamed it on students 'hijacking' the airwaves, but it always sounded a bit of an unsatisfying answer to me.

Does anyone else have any recollection of this?
 
The transmission occurred on 26 Nov 1977 at 5:12 p.m. when a strange unknown voice overrode, took over, or super-modulated the TV signals from five transmitters that were monitored by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in England. IBA did not detect the intrusion. The 5+1/2-minute message overrode a scheduled newscast read by Ivor Mills on Southern ITV, England, and was heard by listeners as far away as Andover, London, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Southhampton, and Winchester. IBA engineers at Croydon, Surry did not hear the override, and at the main transmitter at Southhampton, Hants monitoring system, there was also no evidence of the takeover. A police spokesman told AP and UPI that the message was taken seriously; "They were frightened and generally scared." The voice spoke slowly and deliberately, with a strange inward authority, calm, serene, never scolding. It said:

[Star Visitor] "This is the voice of GRAMAHA, the representative of the Asta Galactic Command, speaking to you. For many years now 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 worlds so that you may communicate to your fellow beings the course you must take to avoid the disasters which threaten your worlds, and the beings on our worlds around you. This is in order that you may share in the great awakening, as the planet passes into the new Age of Aquarius. The new age can be a time of great peace and evolution for your race, but only if your rulers are made aware of the evil forces that overshadow their judgments.

"Be still now and listen, for your chance may not come again. For many years your scientists, governments and generals have not heeded our warnings; they have continued to experiment with the evil forces of what you call nuclear energy. Atomic bombs can destroy the earth, and the beings of your sister worlds, in a moment. The wastes from atomic power systems will poison your planet for many thousands of your years to come.

"We, who have followed the path of evolution for far longer than you, have long since realized this - that atomic energy is always directed against life. It has had no peaceful application. Its use, and research into its use, must be ceased at once, or you all risk destruction. All weapons of evil must be removed.

The time of conflict is now past. The race of which you are a part may proceed to the highest planes of evolution if you show yourselves worthy to do this. You have but a short time to learn to live together in peace and goodwill. "Small groups all over the planet are learning this, and exist to pass on the light of the dawning new age to you all. You are free to accept or reject their teachings, but only those who learn to live in peace will pass to the higher realms of spiritual evolution.

"Hear now the voice of GRAMAHA, the representative of the Asta Galactic Command, speaking to you. Be aware also that there are many false prophets and guides operating in your world. They will suck the energy from you - the energy you call money and will put it to evil ends giving you worthless dross in return.

"Your inner divine self will protect you from this. You must learn to be sensitive to the voice within that can tell you what is truth, and what is confusion, chaos and untruth. Learn to listen to the voice of truth which is within you and you will lead yourselves on to the path of evolution.

"This is our message to our dear friends. We have watched you growing for many years as you too have watched our lights in your skies. You know now that we are here, and that there are more beings on and around your earth than your scientists admit.

"We are deeply concerned about you and your path towards the light and will do all we can to help you. Have no fear, seek only to know yourselves, and live in harmony with the ways of your planet earth. We of the Asta Galactic Command thank you for your attention. We are now leaving the planes of your existence. May you be blessed by the supreme love and truth of the cosmos."

Source
 
Maybe someone was influenced by Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

Checking imdb shows it was released on 16th November, 1977 - ten days before the transmission. However, the movie wasn't released in the UK until the following March.

Still, I'm sure the media here picked up on the hype during those 10 days.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075860/releaseinfo
 
There was a Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch based on this, with Rowan Atkinson as an alien with a faulty translator machine
 
davidplankton said:
There was a Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch based on this, with Rowan Atkinson as an alien with a faulty translator machine

I remember that! Google time!

What gets me (about the 'quote' I posted above) is that there must be a recording of the broadcast. It's just too detailed.

Where is it!
 
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