According to a former CNN intern, the American news corporation’s archives contain a pre-recorded Doomsday video, with the status “HFR [Hold For Release] till end of the world confirmed.”
No ad to show here.
Ted Turner, the founder of Cable News Network, reportedly prepared this segment in the 1980s in case the world gets hit by asteroids, nuclear bombs and horrific lakes of fire appear on every corner.
Jalopnik writer Michael Ballaban allegedly obtained the video back in 2009 during his internship. Ballaban notes that the existence of the video has always been a myth around the studio, though it was not difficult to find.
In a New Yorker article from September 1988 covering the sign-off preparations with Turner himself, the founder explains that CNN had rounded the US Armed Forces marching bands together in front of the old CNN headquarters and videotaped them playing the National Anthem and Nearer My God, to Thee.
“That would be the last thing CNN played before we–before we signed off. And, I’ll tell you, those guys in the military bands knew what I was up to,” Turner said.
Take a look for yourself. The classic Christian tune allegedly played during the sinking of the RMS Titanic back in the early 1900s. As one would expect from an early 1980s camera, the quality isn’t that great with the 4:3 aspect ratio and grainy texture:
Would you be watching TV when the world ends?
