The Galactic Federation Transmission refers to a famous signal intrusion on November 26, 1977, where the audio of a Southern Television broadcast in southern England was interrupted for nearly six minutes by a distorted voice claiming to be “Vrillon,” a representative of the “Ashtar Galactic Command,” also sometimes called the Galactic Federation.
At about 5:10 p.m. local time, viewers heard their TV audio overpowered by a buzzing noise, then an altered voice delivering a message that warned of humanity’s impending fate and urged people to “abandon weapons” and strive for peace in order to avoid disaster and reach a “higher state of evolution.”
The purported speaker, Vrillon (or sometimes called Gillon, Asteron, or versions thereof in various reports), claimed to speak on behalf of the extraterrestrial Ashtar Galactic Command.
The video feed wasn’t affected, and the event caused a flurry of calls and panic among viewers. Southern Television apologized, and it was quickly determined that the broadcast had been hijacked by using a nearby unauthorized transmitter.
The core message warned that Earth was entering a “New Age of Aquarius” and needed to disarm to avoid catastrophe.
Viewers were told to “learn to live together in peace and goodwill” and to be on guard against “false prophets and guides” who would exploit them.
The speaker urged spiritual evolution and warned that only those who embrace peace would “pass to the higher realms of spiritual evolution.”
The incident became a legendary unsolved case of broadcast hijacking, referenced widely in ufology and popular culture.
Investigations attributed it to a technically savvy hoax using transmitter relaying vulnerabilities, but some, believe it or not, still speculate about its origin.
Full Transcript of the Transmission
Based on contemporary reports and audio analyses (e.g., from Fortean Times and archived recordings), here’s the complete message delivered by the voice. It urged humanity to abandon destructive technologies and prepare for spiritual evolution, themes common in Ashtar-related channelings:
“This is the voice of Vrillon, 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 forefathers. Do not ignore this message, but attend to it. All your weapons of evil must be removed. The time for conflict is now past and the race of which you are a part may proceed to the higher stages of its evolution if you show yourselves worthy by responding to this message from the cosmos. We have been watching you for many years. Your leaders have been warned. The time is now for all to listen. All who attempt to deny the truth will fail. All who attempt to deny the value of this message will be removed from the planet. The weapons of evil must be destroyed. The time for conflict is now past. We are leaving the planes of your existence. May you be blessed by the supreme love and truth of the cosmos.”
The transmission ended abruptly, and normal programming resumed with a Merrie Melodies cartoon (The Goofy Gophers).
This event, the Galactic Federation Transmission, is commonly called the “Southern Television broadcast interruption” and is noted as a significant unexplained broadcast mystery of the 20th century.
Media Reaction
Newspapers and news bulletins the following day described the event as a bizarre electronic intrusion and noted that hundreds of viewers called in, worried or curious about the incident.
Initial media reports cited differing names for the speaker (Vrillon, Gillon, or Asteron), reflecting the poor audio quality and public uncertainty. The message and its potential connection to UFO cults (like the Ashtar Command) were discussed in investigative reporting and radio features.
British and American newspapers published contradictory accounts, including differences regarding the name of the supposed alien and the exact wording of the message.
Some outlets and later retrospectives noted the coincidence of the anti-war message with the contemporary news segment about the Rhodesia conflict, reinforcing public intrigue and debate.
Contemporary news and official coverage reflected the confusion and technological novelty of the Galactic Federation Transmission event, which became a major topic in the media and remains a compelling unsolved broadcast mystery to this day.
I find it somewhat odd that this sort of thing would happen shortly after season 15 of Doctor Who had started in September.
Coincidence? Maybe … maybe not. You decide.
