Local 58

Local 58 is a horror web series created by cartoonist Kris Straub.

The series is a spin off of Straub's Candle Cove creepypasta.[1][2] Local 58
Currently hosted on the YouTube channel LOCAL58TV, each
video in the series is presented as footage of a fictional public
access television channel located in Mason County, West Virginia
named Local 58, with the call sign WCLV-TV, created in the late
1930s, which is continuously hijacked over a period of decades
between with a series of broadcasts of ominous and surreal videos.
While the series does not appear to have a continuous plot, nearly The logo for WCLV-TV (Local 58),
every episode seems to include cryptic references related to
the fictional station featured in the
looking at the Moon or at the night sky, as well as references to the
in-universe organization known as the Thought Research Initiative series.
(TRI). Genre Analog horror
Psychological
The series makes use of video and audio degradation to add to the
horror
realism and unsettling nature of each video.[3] The series describes
itself as "analog horror",[4][5][6] a term that has since been used as Surrealism
a name for a niche subgenre of similar VHS-themed found footage Created by Kris Straub
web series that were either inspired by Local 58 or use a similar
Written by Kris Straub
style and techniques to the series.[7][8] The series was initially
hosted on the now-defunct web domain local58.info[1] in 2015[3] Directed by Kris Straub
and was later uploaded onto YouTube in 2017[9] and 2018. The Country of United States
series has since gained a cult following.[1] origin

A website called local58.tv was created in September 2021 as an Original English

extension of the main storyline. The website features a "LookBack language
Web Archive" similar to the web archive service Wayback No. of 9
Machine, and features numerous Easter eggs and plot points for an episodes
associated alternate reality game that offers further detail on Local
58's continuity. Production
Animator Kris Straub
Release
Contents Original YouTube
Episodes network

Development and reception Original October 26,

release 2015 –
See also
present
References
External links

Episodes
Local 58 consists of nine episodes, each ranging in run time. The episodes were originally uploaded to a
separate website, however, as of late 2018, all episodes are now uploaded to YouTube.[1]
 Original release
No. Title Directed by Written by Length
date
1 "Weather Service" Kris Straub Kris Straub 3:38 October 26, 2015

A programming schedule broadcast at midnight is interrupted by an EAS message from the

County Weather Service warning viewers of a meteorological event taking place, with the
alert remaining in place until sunrise. It concludes the message by warning that citizens
should not view the event with the naked eye. Normal programming resumes with the
schedule being shown again, but the only program shown is ominously entitled ‘Blood of the’,
being cut off by a more urgent EAS broadcast, this time upgraded to a civil danger warning,
before it can be fully shown. As the broadcast states that viewers should not look at the night
sky, and that further information will be made available, the station is hijacked, with the
hijacker claiming that the meteorological event is safe and that the warning has been lifted.
They then directly demand viewers to go outside.
A struggle to gain control over the station then appears to take place between the station's staff and the hijacker.
While almost being completely obscured, the first party frantically attempts to issue warnings to the viewers to
not look at the Moon, while the second attempts to cut off or modify these messages through the use of visual
glitches. Local 58 briefly returns to normal programming for a few seconds before a final sequence of EAS
messages air, in which it appears that the second party has been successful in gaining control of the station and
posts a sequence of delirious, cryptic messages, detailing how they were brainwashed by what appears to be the
Moon itself. After initiating a final message, the feed cuts to a live view of the Moon while distant sounds of
people screaming are heard, before cutting to black.

2 "Contingency" Kris Straub Kris Straub 3:06 January 16, 2016

The station signs-off for the day and starts broadcasting SMPTE bars. The broadcast is then
suddenly interrupted with an emergency alert from the fictional "Department for the
Preservation of American Dignity" (DPAD) and a written message from President Lyndon B.
Johnson set to "The Star-Spangled Banner", claiming that the military of the United States
has been defeated by that of a foreign nation. The message, printed on a telop slide, states
that all Americans are 'called upon to ACT' to 'preserve the memory of the United States clear
and bright… untarnished and uncompromised.'

After the message concludes, a heavily distorted rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" plays
as the broadcast continues. The DPAD urges viewers to commit mass suicide to prevent the
enemy force from capturing them. After informing viewers that local law enforcement are to
'ensure your compliance' and that it is 'against the law to delay' - implying that anyone who
resists the order to commit suicide shall be executed - the broadcast then states that it will
repeat 'until there are none to read it', and recommends suicide by gunshot. They also
suggest, if time allows, the 'Victory Position', a ritualistic posture where at least one person
lays flat on their back on their front lawn before shooting themselves.

After instructing viewers to euthanize their children and pets, then delivering the statement that 'THE 51ST
STATE IS NOT A PLACE', the erroneous broadcast is suddenly halted. Local 58 airs a retraction claiming that the
message was a hoax, and apologizes for the error. However, visible behind the message is a second slide
instructing the station to claim the footage was a hoax in the event of an accidental broadcast, indicating that
everything seen up to the hoax slide was a real contingency plan intended for use if such events were to ever
take place in reality.[10]

"You Are On The

3 Fastest Available Kris Straub Kris Straub 2:33 June 19, 2016
Route"
A programming schedule for the channel abruptly cuts to static and gets replaced by footage
from a dashcam recorded on 21 November 2014, involving a driver following a GPS satnav.
The drive mostly consists of the GPS's directions and it informing the driver that they are "on
the fastest available route." After a while, the footage cuts to the driver driving though the
middle of a forest on an unpaved road, with the GPS's directions having become increasingly
suspicious, instructing the driver to follow the no entry signs, to continue on an unnamed road
and to park the car and turn off the headlights.

Having followed every instruction without fail, the driver complies, bringing the car to a complete stop with the
lights out. After a few seconds, a loud roar can be heard. The driver quickly turns the headlights back on to reveal
a bipedal creature in the road. The feed suddenly cuts to the driver driving away from the creature with the GPS
repeatedly telling the driver to turn around. The GPS rapidly counts down the distance in feet as the roars become
louder, revealing the creature itself to be the destination. After abruptly freezing, the feed then cuts forward to the
car now lying sideways with the windshield cracked. One last roar is heard as the feed glitches out, with the GPS
finally announcing in a slow, malfunctioning tone that the driver has arrived at their destination.[11]

4 "Station ID" Kris Straub Kris Straub 0:18 November 2, 2017

Serving as the channel's trailer, the video consists of a series of cryptic messages, which read
the following:

ANALOG HORROR AT 476 MHz

WE BEGIN OUR BROADCAST DAY

LOOK AWAY

IT DOES NOT MATTER

THERE ARE OTHER RECEIVERS

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

The video then abruptly cuts to black.[12]

5 "Show For Children" Kris Straub Kris Straub 3:11 July 30, 2018

A programming schedule transitions to a bumper and then to a rubber hose animation cartoon
titled "A Grave Mistake", which features an anthropomorphic skeleton named Cadavre. The
cartoon opens with Cadavre walking through a graveyard at night with the Moon smiling
overhead. He comes across an open grave, wonders if his lover may be inside, and decides
to peek. Inside the grave is a realistic skeleton, which frightens Cadavre and causes him to
run away. He finds another grave and decides to check inside again, only to be frightened by
a birdlike creature.

As the soundtrack completely cuts out, Cadavre, now visibly tense, continues through the graveyard while the
Moon stares down at him. He looks into another grave and descends into it, entering a cave. After wandering
through the cave for some time, he reaches another open grave. Exhausted and unable to climb out, Cadavre lies
face up on the ground. From his perspective, a giant, realistic rendering of the Moon can be seen moving over the
hole of the grave. The view cuts back to Cadavre, who has seemingly died and turned into a lifeless, realistic
skeleton.[13][14]

6 "A Look Back" Kris Straub Kris Straub 1:03 August 27, 2018

A compilation of the history of Local 58, shuffling through the fictional channel's various past logos in
chronological order, gets hijacked, and messages begin to flash on the screen similar to those shown in Station
 ID. The broadcast then becomes a montage of short clips from previous episodes of the series, intercut with
glitched footage of normal television broadcasts. After a few more messages are shown, the station's
broadcasting returns to normal.[15]

7 "Real Sleep" Kris Straub Kris Straub 5:10 December 19, 2018

A personalized VHS recording made by the Thought Research Initiative (TRI) begins playing and starts with a
simple "myth or fact" game about sleeping, claiming that dreaming is not essential to mental health. It then
displays a visual of monitored brainwaves called the "Kleitman Map," implying that the video was personally
designed to prevent dreams by applying an inverse of the map. The video then cuts to a segment where four
sequences are introduced in a manner similar to the flashed face distortion effect. Sequence one tells the viewer
to look directly at the center of the screen as faces flash at the viewer. Sequence two has two faces slowly
merge until the face fades away. Then, sequence three instructs the viewer to repeat the phrase "there are no
faces" several times as heavily distorted faces flash on the screen. Sequence four then begins to flash a number
of ominous subliminal messages, while "there are no faces" repeats one more time, eerily slowed down. The
video concludes with the viewer being told that they have now completed the real sleep program, and to avoid
seeing a doctor.[16]

8 "Skywatching" Kris Straub Kris Straub 4:15 November 1, 2019

Following a broadcast schedule, an episode of Skywatching begins, but is suddenly cut out, accompanied by the
sound of a high pitched, distorted scream. The footage is replaced by an amateur broadcast by a man taking
footage of the night sky through his camera. The man aims the camera at Orion's Belt and the Pleiades, then
after changing his camera's lens, begins filming the Moon, referred to as 'HIS THRONE' by onscreen text. The
cameraman then shows close ups of the Moon's surface with moving clouds, seemingly organic formations, and
strange artificial constructions. The Moon then fades away. As the cameraman changes the lens again, a loud
noise can be heard as the Moon reappears, now far larger in size. A Thunderbolt air raid siren sounds, and the
cameraman adjusts the brightness of the camera pointing at the Moon, showing its southern hemisphere cracked
open and revealing the body of a gigantic skeletal organism inside. The cameraman then walks towards the Moon
with his hands raised as the siren abruptly cuts out. Onscreen text then appears saying "REJOICE" before the
screen cuts to static.[17]

9 "Digital Transition" Kris Straub Kris Straub 3:54 October 31, 2021

On July 13, 2021, Local 58 is preparing to undergo a digital switchover at midnight. Following the conclusion of a
normal airing of an episode of One Step Beyond, the channel airs a tribute bumper depicting numerous eras of the
station’s 82 year history (1939–present) and its broadcasts. The end of the bumper shows Local 58's new logo,
with an extended tagline "Community Digital Television." The switchover takes place, but as the clock passes
midnight, the broadcast becomes increasingly corrupted, and the analog signal persists, visible behind that of the
digital signal’s output, insisting that the digital switchover has been postponed. The entity controlling the analog
signal then begins broadcasting a sequence of cryptic messages themed around betrayal alongside footage from
Weather Service. Having gained full control over the station’s digital signal, the entity issues another sequence of
messages alluding to its connection with the Moon. A distorted face appears on screen before the broadcast cuts
out entirely, hastily replaced with a legal warning from the FCG—an in-universe agency based on the real world
FCC—about "unauthorized analog reception".[18]

Development and reception

A television station called "Channel 58" first appeared in Straub's creepypasta Candle Cove, which took
the form of an Internet forum thread about a bizarre children's program of the same name airing on the
network. The show featured a human girl named Janice imagining to be friends with pirates played by
string marionettes. The villain was a skeleton known as the "Skin-Taker" who wore clothing made from the
human skin of dead children. Over the thread the details of the show grow more disturbing, until the users
remember that it contained an episode of all of the pirates manically screaming as Janice inconsolably
sobbed. The story concludes with a user stating that when he asked his mother in a nursing home about the
show, she claimed that he would tune the television to static and watch the screen.[19] Straub has confirmed
on Reddit that the channel is the same one featured in the web series, and that the call sign WCLV is a
reference to Candle Cove ("CLV = CandLe coVe").[2][20]

Straub has identified themes of the series as "stillness, distrust of safety warnings, misuse of mass
perception, parallel science that arises from unexamined bad intent, dogmatic thought."[21]
Straub used iMovie to create the first two episodes of Local 58 and Final Cut Pro X for the other
episodes.[22] All of the assets used in the series either come from public domain stock media (for example,
the "2000's" Local 58 music, a stock track called "Entering Graciously")[23] or created by Straub himself
using Clip Studio,[24] Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Flash.

Since its initial debut, Local 58 has inspired the creation of other series with similar themes, including
Channel 7, Analog Archives, Eventide Media Center, and Gemini Home Entertainment.[25]

As of December 23, 2021, Local 58 has over 483,000 subscribers and more than 17,167,673 views with
just nine videos.[26]

A subreddit dedicated to the series was created on August 8, 2016, and currently has 23,700 followers as of
May 1, 2022.[27] Many fans of the series have created theories as to the possible meanings or overarching
narrative of the videos, both on the subreddit and on YouTube. Straub himself has answered some
questions about the series on the subreddit.[28]

The emergency alert shown in Contingency has been compared to the 2018 Hawaii false missile alert.[29]

See also
Candle Cove
Found footage (film technique)
The Blair Witch Project
Marble Hornets
Alternate reality game
Kris Straub

References
1. LaVigna, Chris (2019-07-15). "Tune in… Or Else: Kris Straub Has Created a Viral Internet
Nightmare With 'Local 58' " (https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3572854/tune-else-kris-
straub-created-viral-internet-nightmare-local-58/). Bloody Disgusting!. Archived (https://web.
archive.org/web/20190716160452/https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3572854/tune-els
e-kris-straub-created-viral-internet-nightmare-local-58/) from the original on 2019-07-16.
Retrieved 2020-02-01.
2. "r/local58 - Comment by u/krisstraub on "Did they ever air Candle Cove on Local 58?"" (http
s://www.reddit.com/r/local58/comments/coobcc/did_they_ever_air_candle_cove_on_local_5
8/ewnj1jo). Reddit. Retrieved 2020-06-11
3. Devarakonda, Mythili (2021-02-11). " 'Local 58': What inspired the fictional crime web
series?" (https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/true-crime/local-58/). Film Daily. Archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20210421161352/https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/true-crime/local-58/) from
the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
4. ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ - STATION ID (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MEHCJVhyZ0),
archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210422180858/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4MEHCJVhyZ0) from the original on 2021-04-22, retrieved 2021-04-21
5. "LOCAL58TV - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/c/LOCAL58TV/about).
www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210421162605/https://www.you
tube.com/c/LOCAL58TV/about) from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
 ＬＯＣＡＬ ＴＶ
6. " 58 is creating analog horror" (https://www.patreon.com/local58tv). Patreon.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210421162604/https://www.patreon.com/local58tv)
from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
7. "Analog Horror" (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnalogHorror). TV Tropes.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210421162605/https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p
hp/Main/AnalogHorror) from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
8. What is Analog Horror? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An1OJXIMCTo), archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20210420171649/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An1OJXIMCT
o) from the original on 2021-04-20, retrieved 2021-04-21
9.ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ - Weather Service (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M75VLQuFPrY),
archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210605153030/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
M75VLQuFPrY) from the original on 2021-06-05, retrieved 2021-04-21
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
10. " - Contingency - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c66w6
fVqOI). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200809211903/https://w
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=3c66w6fVqOI) from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved
2020-07-28.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
11. " - You Are On The Fastest Available Route - YouTube" (https://www.yo
utube.com/watch?v=jh09uIN6tl0). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/
20200730015137/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh09uIN6tl0) from the original on 2020-
07-30. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
12.ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ - STATION ID (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MEHCJVhyZ0),
archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210422180858/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4MEHCJVhyZ0) from the original on 2021-04-22, retrieved 2021-04-26
13. "Cadavre - Broodhollow" (https://broodhollow.chainsawsuit.com/tag/cadavre/). Broodhollow.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200218003705/http://broodhollow.chainsawsuit.co
m/tag/cadavre/) from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
14. " - Show For Children - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z
PdgWYB9fdw). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200809211923/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPdgWYB9fdw) from the original on 2020-08-09.
Retrieved 2020-07-28.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ Ａ Ｌｏｏｋ Ｂａｃｋ
15. " -" " - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=NI2PyUvTEUc). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/202011022353
05/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI2PyUvTEUc) from the original on 2020-11-02.
Retrieved 2020-07-28.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
16. " - Real Sleep - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ-vBhG
k9F4). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200809211858/https://w
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ-vBhGk9F4) from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved
2020-07-28.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
17. " - Skywatching - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BD-ba
-aXQo). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200809211840/https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BD-ba-aXQo) from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved
2020-07-28.
ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ
18. " - Digital Transition - YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S5
Qo84D_NA). www.youtube.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20211101030102/htt
ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S5Qo84D_NA&gl=US&hl=en) from the original on 2021-
11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
19. Straub, Kris. "Candle Cove" (http://ichorfalls.chainsawsuit.com/).
ichorfalls.chainsawsuit.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
20. "r/local58 - Comment by u/krisstraub on "Interesting WCLV" (https://www.reddit.com/r/local5
8/comments/e93q6a/comment/fao7b0o/?context=3). Reddit. Retrieved 2022-04-26
21. "r/local58 - Comment by u/krisstraub on "Food for Thought: What if most of the Local 58
videos are transmissions from other Realities, so there's no real point in assigning ONE
cause of all of the problems." (https://www.reddit.com/r/local58/comments/c9jewt/comment/e
syycg7/?context=3) Reddit. Retrieved 2020-06-11
22. krisstraub (2019-11-19). "hi, i make local58. AMA about the technical/visual/audio process!!"
(https://www.reddit.com/r/local58/comments/dyqb40/hi_i_make_local58_ama_about_the/).
r/local58. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
23. Entering Graciously (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzt0gsN2IuA), archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20210723230721/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzt0gsN2IuA) from
the original on 2021-07-23, retrieved 2021-04-24
24. ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ＴＶ - Skywatching (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BD-ba-aXQo),
archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210414101745/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
2BD-ba-aXQo) from the original on 2021-04-14, retrieved 2021-04-21
25. Paul, Andrew (October 18, 2019). "A Good Place: The public access channel from hell" (http
s://theoutline.com/post/8115/a-good-place-the-public-access-channel-from-hell). The
Outline. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20211106111914/https://theoutline.com/post/
8115/a-good-place-the-public-access-channel-from-hell) from the original on November 6,
2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
26. "LOCAL58 - COMMUNITY TELEVISION's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile) - Social Blade
Stats" (https://socialblade.com/youtube/channel/UCuoMasRkMhlj1VNVAOJdw5w).
socialblade.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200201192145/https://socialblad
e.com/youtube/channel/UCuoMasRkMhlj1VNVAOJdw5w) from the original on 2020-02-01.
Retrieved 2020-02-01.
27. "r/local58" (https://www.reddit.com/r/local58). reddit. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
28. krisstraub (2020-05-07). "it is absolutely to …" (https://www.reddit.com/r/local58/comments/gf
evvf/something_that_bugs_me_about_the_victory_position/fptlaz5/). r/local58. Retrieved
2021-04-26.
29. "Wanna See Something REALLY Scary? Local 58 Contingency Emergency Broadcast" (http
s://www.dreadcentral.com/wanna-see-something-really-scary/264918/wanna-see-something
-really-scary-local-58-contingency-emergency-broadcast/). Dread Central. 2018-01-19.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210421201446/https://www.dreadcentral.com/wann
a-see-something-really-scary/264918/wanna-see-something-really-scary-local-58-contingen
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External links
Official Local 58 YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuoMasRkMhlj1VN
VAOJdw5w)
Kris Straub's Twitter account (https://twitter.com/krisstraub)
Official Local 58 Twitter account (https://twitter.com/LOCAL58TV)
Entering Graciously, the song that is used in most of the Local 58 videos (https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=Fzt0gsN2IuA)

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