Wendigoon
Wendigoon

The TRUE Horror of Local 58

September 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The TRUE Horror of Local 58

In the small broadcast station of Mason County, West Virginia—home of the Mothman legend—something has been hijacking the airwaves. Local 58 is an ARG (augmented reality game) created by Kris Straub, who also created Candle Cove (later adapted into the TV series Channel Zero). Straub has confirmed that Candle Cove aired on Local 58, tying together a shared universe of analog horror. The channel's uploads appear as individual broadcast programs from this small West Virginia TV station, each one more disturbing than the last.

The Broadcasts: What Actually Happens

The first program, "You Are on the Fastest Available Route," opens with dashcam footage of a man driving through a city. His GPS begins repeating the same phrase mechanically, leading him onto an abandoned dirt road deep in the woods. Then the GPS says something else: "Turn off your headlights." The driver complies, and though we don't see what he sees in the darkness, it cannot be good. He tries to flee, his car is destroyed, and the broadcast cuts out in flames.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:07) **Introduction to Local 58** - Wendigoon introduces the ARG series "Local 58" by creator Chris Straud, known for "Candle Cove," and sets the Halloween spooky video series.
  • 2 (02:14) **"You are on the fastest available route"** - The first broadcast shows dashcam footage of a man whose GPS malfunctions, leading him to an abandoned road.
  • 3 (03:38) **"Contingency"** - A state of emergency broadcast declares America has been defeated by an unspecified force, instructing citizens to commit suicide.
  • 4 (06:40) **"Weather Service"** - An emergency alert warns "do not look at the moon," but the message changes to "go outside now," creating a fight within the broadcast.
  • 5 (08:47) **Station ID and "A Look Back"** - A station ID reveals the broadcast frequency (476 MHz), and "A Look Back" discusses sending signals into "their domain."
  • 6 (09:54) **"Show for Children"** - A disturbing cartoon for kids features the character Cadaver, who is stalked by a creepy moon and killed when it passes over his grave.
  • 7 (13:15) **"Real Sleep"** - A program from the "Thought Research Institute" attempts to convince viewers that dreams are unnecessary and uses subliminal messages to disassociate them from reality.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

The TRUE Horror of Local 58 | The Full Story Explained

What if your local television station was hiding something terrifying? Explore the unsettling world of Local 58, one of the most influential analog horror series on the internet.

This episode examines the disturbing broadcasts, mysterious warnings, strange events, and hidden clues that make Local 58 so unsettling. From emergency alerts and strange transmissions to terrifying encounters with forces beyond human understanding, every broadcast seems to reveal another piece of a much larger mystery.

Discover the story, symbolism, theories, and terrifying details hidden throughout the Local 58 universe.

Listen to the full story and uncover the true horror behind Local 58.
Wendigoon

More from this podcast

Wendigoon →