William Tager (born November 9, 1947) is a Charlotte, North Carolina man who assaulted television journalist and newsreader Dan Rather and later murdered Campbell Montgomery because of his belief that television networks were watching him and sending him signals.

Attack on Dan Rather

On October 4, 1986, Rather was attacked on Park Avenue by one or two men, presumed to have been mentally disturbed, who repeatedly yelled "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" The assailant or assailants were not apprehended or identified at the time. This event was the inspiration for the song "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" by the band R.E.M.

1994 shooting

On August 31, 1994, Tager shot and killed Campbell Theron Montgomery, a technician employed by NBC, outside of the stage of the Today show. Tager had attempted to enter the Today studios carrying a weapon; Montgomery died preventing Tager access to the studios. Police apprehended Tager after the shooting.

Tager stated he believed that television networks were monitoring him and beaming messages into his head and that he had assaulted Dan Rather. Prosecutors brought first degree murder charges against Tager.

Murder case

On November 29, 1996, Tager was given a sentence of 15 to 25 years. As of 2007 he was incarcerated in Sing Sing prison in New York state. Tager was denied parole in 2007; he was released on parole in October 2010.

Some have questioned Tager's involvement in Rather's assault. In their initial reports, Rather and two other witnesses stated that Rather was assaulted by two men. In Dr. Welner’s examination, he confirmed Tager’s involvement by eliciting admissions that would have only been known to the defendant and then investigating the assault scene.

After reviewing Dr. Welner’s discoveries, Dr. Dietz interviewed Rather, who identified Tager as the assailant and said that a second man had been present during the assault but had not participated in it.

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