#3: The Rhode Island “Nuclear Attack” Stunt (1974)
By the mid-70s, the fear wasn’t Martians, it was the bomb. Producers at WPRO-AM in Providence aired simulated emergency broadcasts declaring a nuclear missile had just detonated offshore. The program was complete with fake fallout warnings and wailing civil defense alarms. Terrified listeners paralyzed traffic and jammed 911 phone lines trying to get information. Of course, the station was forced to issue a public apology.
