Get Your Phreak615 On

Updated @ 12:32 PM, 16 April, 2008

So what's the deal? For the last couple of weeks, there have been little snippets of "pirate" video sneaking their way into MuchMusic television broadcasts, which has people all abuzz wondering if someone is actually hacking into a live broadcast.

Credit for the "heist" is being taken by one Phreak615, who is telling the world how brilliant he is in his own blog, literally referring to himself as "the second coming." He claims to play guitar in a band called The Nunnery, but they appear to be the only local act without a MySpace page.

So, how does one hack into a televised broadcast? According to Phreak615, you have to have access. That's right; it's an inside job. "I have direct access to our digital media server," he boasts in his blog, allowing him to hack in with a WIFI laptop from his car when he's not at work.

If this guy's for real, I'd think Much would have a fairly easy time rooting him out. How many tech savvy young men have direct access to the server and aren't at work when the "hacks" occur? There can't be that many.

Of course, I'm sceptical: this is likely some relatively clever viral marketing campaign for some relatively stupid product that'll soon make you wonder why you ever go online. I'm also suspicious why Blogger, owned by Google, would allow a blog documenting criminal activity by the criminal mastermind himself. If he were the genius outlaw he claims to be, why isn't he on a site hosted in a country where investigators wouldn't be able to subpoena his records?

If this guy is for real, then the tech people at Much are even dimmer than their on-air personalities (and that's saying a lot), and Phreak615 needs to say something other than "Hey everybody, look at me!"

Whether he's legit or not, I guess Phreak615 has given Much some much needed relevance; a reason to watch if only to see where he'll turn up next. Who knows, maybe you can be watching when the hoax is unravelled and we find out what they're trying to sell us.

I'm guessing it's an energy drink. What's your guess?

Update:
For more information on the theory put forward by Adam in the comments, watch this video:

Oh, obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl!

She's referring to a theory put forth in the comments on this page, stating that the whole thing is likely a plug for a new reality show set to air on June 15 (615). Mind you, this is pure conjecture of a journalism student, and not the result of any concrete investigation, but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't far off the mark.

Have they got it all figured out? Is there anything worth figuring out? Go figure.