diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
index f2cb30f96..6cbd73d0d 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
@@ -214,8 +214,18 @@ namespace BlackGui
                     relevantForMe = true;
                 }
 
-                // check message
-                if (message.isRadioMessage())
+                // check message, handle special cases first
+                if (message.isServerMessage())
+                {
+                    // void
+                }
+                else if (message.isBroadcastMessage())
+                {
+                    // FAKE private message
+                    this->addPrivateChannelTextMessage(message);
+                    relevantForMe = true;
+                }
+                else if (message.isRadioMessage())
                 {
                     // check for own COM frequencies
                     if (message.isSendToFrequency(ownAircraft.getCom1System().getFrequencyActive()))
@@ -235,12 +245,17 @@ namespace BlackGui
                         sGui->getCContextAudioBase()->playNotification(CNotificationSounds::NotificationTextCallsignMentioned, false);
                     }
                 }
-                else if (message.isPrivateMessage() && !message.isServerMessage())
+                else if (message.isPrivateMessage())
                 {
                     // private message
                     this->addPrivateChannelTextMessage(message);
                     relevantForMe = true;
                 }
+                else
+                {
+                    BLACK_AUDIT_X(false, Q_FUNC_INFO, "Wrong message type");
+                    continue;
+                }
 
                 // message for me? right frequency? otherwise quit
                 if (this->hasAllMessagesTab() && (relevantForMe || message.isServerMessage()))
@@ -252,7 +267,10 @@ namespace BlackGui
                 if (!relevantForMe) { continue; }
 
                 // overlay message if this channel is not selected
-                if (!message.wasSent() && !message.isSendToUnicom() && !message.isServerMessage())
+                if (message.isServerMessage())    { continue; }
+                if (message.isBroadcastMessage()) { continue; }
+
+                if (!message.wasSent() && !message.isSendToUnicom())
                 {
                     // if the channel is selected, do nothing
                     if (!this->isCorrespondingTextMessageTabSelected(message))
@@ -526,8 +544,12 @@ namespace BlackGui
         void CTextMessageComponent::addPrivateChannelTextMessage(const CTextMessage &textMessage)
         {
             if (!textMessage.isPrivateMessage()) { return; }
-            const CCallsign cs = textMessage.wasSent() ? textMessage.getRecipientCallsign() : textMessage.getSenderCallsign();
+            CCallsign cs = textMessage.wasSent() ? textMessage.getRecipientCallsign() : textMessage.getSenderCallsign();
             if (cs.isEmpty()) { return; }
+
+            const bool isBroadcast = textMessage.isBroadcastMessage();
+            if (isBroadcast) { cs.markAsBroadcastCallsign(); }
+
             const QWidget *tab = this->findTextMessageTabByCallsign(cs);
             if (!tab) { tab = this->addNewTextMessageTab(cs); }
             Q_ASSERT_X(tab, Q_FUNC_INFO, "Missing tab");
@@ -537,6 +559,9 @@ namespace BlackGui
             textEdit->insertTextMessage(textMessage);
 
             // sound
+            if (textMessage.isServerMessage()) { return; }
+            if (isBroadcast) { return; }
+
             const bool playSound = !textMessage.wasSent() && !m_usedAsOverlayWidget && sGui && !sGui->isShuttingDown() && sGui->getIContextAudio();
             if (sGui && sGui->getIContextAudio() && playSound)
             {
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.cpp
index 308f8da44..8ada3c8ba 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.cpp
@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return m_callsign.endsWith("SUP");
         }
 
+        bool CCallsign::isBroadcastCallsign() const
+        {
+            return m_callsignAsSet == "*" || m_callsign == "*" || m_callsignAsSet == "BROADCAST";
+        }
+
+        void CCallsign::markAsBroadcastCallsign()
+        {
+            m_callsignAsSet = "BROADCAST";
+            m_callsign = "BROADCAST";
+        }
+
         bool CCallsign::isMaybeCopilotCallsign(const CCallsign &pilotCallsign) const
         {
             return  m_callsign.startsWith(pilotCallsign.asString()) &&
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.h b/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.h
index c6fee5d51..9382ad665 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/callsign.h
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Supervisor?
             bool isSupervisorCallsign() const;
 
+            //! Pseudo callsing for broadcast messages
+            //! \remark hack, workaround for VATSIM using "*" as callsign for text messages
+            bool isBroadcastCallsign() const;
+
+            //! Set a human readable name as "broadcast" callsign
+            //! \remark hack, workaround for VATSIM using "*" as callsign for text messages
+            void markAsBroadcastCallsign();
+
             //! Returns true if this is a co-pilot callsign of pilot. The logic is that the callsign is the same as the pilot one
             //! but with a single character as suffix.
             //! e.g Pilot logged in as DLH123, observer logged in as DLH123A
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.cpp b/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.cpp
index 6a8ea774b..e809bc159 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
         bool CTextMessage::isSupervisorMessage() const
         {
+            // ignore broadcast messages
+            if (this->isBroadcastMessage()) { return false; }
+
+            // normal SUP message
             return m_senderCallsign.isSupervisorCallsign();
         }
 
@@ -79,6 +83,11 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return m_relayedMessage || this->getMessage().startsWith(CTextMessage::swiftRelayMessage());
         }
 
+        void CTextMessage::markAsBroadcastMessage()
+        {
+
+        }
+
         void CTextMessage::makeRelayedMessage(const CCallsign &partnerCallsign)
         {
             if (this->getMessage().startsWith(CTextMessage::swiftRelayMessage())) { return; }
@@ -193,6 +202,12 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return (cs.asString().startsWith("SERVER", Qt::CaseInsensitive));
         }
 
+        bool CTextMessage::isBroadcastMessage() const
+        {
+            const CCallsign cs = this->getRecipientCallsign();
+            return cs.isBroadcastCallsign();
+        }
+
         QString CTextMessage::asString(bool withSender, bool withRecipient, const QString &separator) const
         {
             QString s(this->getFormattedUtcTimestampHms());
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.h b/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.h
index 7ad3a155b..45d3879b5 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/network/textmessage.h
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Initial message of server?
             bool isServerMessage() const;
 
+            //! Is this a broadcast message
+            bool isBroadcastMessage() const;
+
             //! Whole message as formatted string. Used to display message in a console window.
             //! \param withSender        include sender information in string?
             //! \param withRecipient     include recipient information in string?
@@ -156,6 +159,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Mark as relayed message
             void markAsRelayedMessage() { m_relayedMessage = true; }
 
+            //! Mark as broadcast message
+            void markAsBroadcastMessage();
+
             //! Mark as relayed and keep original sender
             void makeRelayedMessage(const Aviation::CCallsign &partnerCallsign);