When the world ends, and the zombies are preparing to chomp down on the final CNN employee fighting off the undead hordes, this is the video the news network will play.

Back when the 24 hour news network launched in the 1980s, founder Ted Turner said the network would cover everything that happened from that moment on until the end of civilization. Then, once that moment arrives, he’ll play “Nearer My God to Thee” as the network (and planet) finally signs off. Most thought he was joking about the last part — turns out he wasn’t.

A former intern at CNN stumbled upon the 4:3 standard-definition video (circa the 1980s) of the Armed Forces marching band playing the tune in the company’s archive, under a file titled “TURNER DOOMSDAY VIDEO,” with a red-code restriction to “hold for release till end of the world confirmed.” Those are fairly mythic directions, and it’s crazy to imagine a person’s final action to be pushing play on this.

But dang, you’ve got to admire the bluster to hedge that your network would be around until the end of time.

Along with a picture of the file logged in the system, the former intern also snagged some footage of the actual video, showing the final tune we’ll ever hear. You know, assuming the world ends anytime soon. Or, possibly less likely, that you’re actually watching CNN.

(Via Jalopnik)