Authorities had expected to find a boat or small plane with a malfunctioning transponder, the usual culprit in such incidents, emitting the 121.5 MHz frequency of the distress signal used internationally.
This may be a bunch of dribble but it did seem interesting to me ... I'll lay it out for a while and then delete it.
As a Coast Guard Radio Operator for 27 years I'd say this is very interesting ... 121.5 mHz is the Aeronautical International Distress frequency, it would be unlikely (actually it would be strange) for a vessel (other than military) be it big or small to be carrying equipment that could operate in that range. Small vessels usually have VHF Channel 16 which is a "Distress and Calling" frequency. They also could be carrying HF and MF frequencies if they are working (travelling) offshore. The fact that it was eminating from a TV doesn't surprise me a whole lot as a mistuned receiver (TV) can generate a large number of frequencies in the mixing stages. But not usually at powerful enough level as to be detectable from a range other than a few feet and with sophisticated equipment. Then again those satellites are extremely sensitive and sophisticated.
I remember stories as a kid of people in England who did not have a permit for a radio receiver were caught by the authorities because of the frequencies being generated by their equipment.
