"What's the frequency Kenneth?" Dan Rather Attack

For anyone that doesn't know the REM song is about a 1986 attack on Dan Rather where a man (The Camera Never Blinks says two men I think) ran up and beat Dan Rather while screaming "What's the frequency Kenneth?"

No one knew why, or caught the guy...until 1997? HUH?

I came across this little snippet on the web and need verification or any other alleged capture stories out there...

orangefox.svs.com...
1/29/97

CBS News is reporting that Dan Rather has positively identified the man who
attacked him on Park Avenue in 1986. Apparently, the man shot an NBC
television technician not long ago and is in custody for that attack.

The Daily News has a huge front-page headline that reads "What's the Frequency?"
over a picture of Rather.

Anyway, the News says that the suspect is William Tager, 49.

"'There is no doubt in my mind that this is the person,' said Rather.

"Tager, 49, convinced that the media had him under surveillance and were
beaming hostile messages at him constantly, demanded that Rather tell him the
frequency being used to transmit the messages...

Apparently, Tager was not stalking Rather but accidentally encountered him.

Tager shot and killed NBC television technician at Rockefeller Center in
1994. At that time, the News reports that Tager said that "rays were coming
on top of him and vibrations came out of the TV." He was found incompetent to
participate in his defense and was sentenced to 12 1/2 to 25 years.

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IS THIS TRUE? I never heard the guy was caught or an explanation for the attack before? Who knows the full story?

Does no one else know if this capture story is true or do people not know about the original attack? Or a little of both?

Surely SOMEONE here knows...this is like major crazy man conspiracy 101 and my all time favorite trivia tidbit?

Anyone? Bueller?

This is the fisrt i have heard of the attack on dan rather. i find it very interesting, i know that there have been recent dicoveries about cell phone frequencys being shockingly close to human nurological frequencys. and there are some who believe that it is possible to convey a message directly into ones mind with the correct frequency. I know this idea has been around for sometime, but the event with dan rather may be the first and actual proof of this technology. and the victims are always led away in chains.

I remember the attack. Being in the NYC metro area, it was on the local news.

Kudos to Rather for going on TV with REM to sing "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" It showed that he doesn't take himself too seriously.

As far as the capture, I can't remember ever hearing about......then again, I travel alot.

Reading "Generation of Swine" by Hunter S. Thompson I was reminded of this event.

Dan Rather, still cranked up from his adventure in power politics at CBS, got all the action he wanted during a midnight stroll on Park Avenue when he was savagely beaten by two thugs because he failed to answer their first question: "Kenneth, what is the frequency?"
Nobody seems to know exactly what happened next, except that Rather was beaten like an egg-sucking dog for not knowing The Frequency.

A truly bizarre event that only the 80s could produce.

Never heard a bout the attack... that's really interesting.

Was just listening to What's the Frequency Kenneth when I saw this.