William Tager

In October 1986, as Dan Rather was walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan to his apartment, he was attacked and punched from behind by a man (later identified as William Tager) who demanded to know, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" As the assailant pummeled and kicked Rather, he kept repeating the question over and over again. In describing the incident, Rather said, "I got mugged. Who understands these things? I didn't and I don't now. I didn't make a lot of it at the time and I don't now. I wish I knew who did it and why, but I have no idea."

Related Topics:
1986 - Dan Rather - Park Avenue - Manhattan

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The incident and Rather's account led some to doubt the veracity of Rather's story. Nevertheless, the story entered popular lore and remained unsolved for some time. The incident inspired a song called "Kenneth, What's the Frequency?" by the band Game Theory in 1987, and in 1994 the band R.E.M. released the much more widely known song "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" on the album Monster. It became the subject of many jokes over the years and slang for a confused or clueless person. Rather actually sang with the band when they performed the song on the David Letterman show.

Related Topics:
Game Theory - 1987 - 1994 - R.E.M. - What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - Monster - David Letterman

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Many theories existed about why Rather was attacked; one theory even linked the event to the KGB, the CIA, and Soviet television broadcasts. Finally in 1997, the mystery of the "Kenneth" incident appeared to be solved. When the New York Daily News published a photo of William Tager, Rather identified him as his assailant. "There's no doubt in my mind that this is the person," Rather said. Tager is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for killing NBC stagehand Campbell Montgomery outside The Today Show studio in 1994. Tager apparently was convinced that the news media was beaming signals into his head. He demanded that Rather tell him the frequency of the signals. Why he referred to Rather as "Kenneth" remains a mystery although some have speculated that Tager, being Jewish, was actually saying "Goniff, What is the frequency?" (Goniff being Yiddish for a thief or dishonest person).

Related Topics:
KGB - CIA - 1997 - New York Daily News - NBC - Campbell Montgomery - The Today Show - 1994 - Jewish - Yiddish

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