diff --git a/internal/hub/hub.go b/internal/hub/hub.go
index 90eb893..9a424c8 100644
--- a/internal/hub/hub.go
+++ b/internal/hub/hub.go
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ type Event struct {
 // nil/empty means "no filter on this dimension" (match everything).
 // An empty non-nil slice means "match nothing on this dimension".
 type Scope struct {
-	IATAs        []string
-	RegionIATAs  []string // pre-expanded from regionId by the WS handler
-	PayloadTypes []uint8
+	IATAs         []string
+	RegionIATAs   []string // pre-expanded from regionId by the WS handler
+	PayloadTypes  []uint8
 	ChannelHashes []string
-	Events       []EventType
+	Events        []EventType
 }
 
 // Client represents a connected WebSocket consumer.
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ type Hub struct {
 }
 
 type subscribeMsg struct {
-	client      *Client
-	scope       Scope
-	hasScope    bool // true when this is an AddScope call, false for NewClient registration
+	client   *Client
+	scope    Scope
+	hasScope bool // true when this is an AddScope call, false for NewClient registration
 }
 
 type unsubscribeMsg struct {
diff --git a/internal/ingest/ingest.go b/internal/ingest/ingest.go
index f87f70b..0af971e 100644
--- a/internal/ingest/ingest.go
+++ b/internal/ingest/ingest.go
@@ -193,6 +193,16 @@ type statusEvent struct {
 	LastStatusAt  int64  `json:"lastStatusAt"` // epoch ms
 }
 
+// channelMessageEvent is the JSON payload for a channelMessage WS event.
+type channelMessageEvent struct {
+	ChannelID   int    `json:"channelId"`
+	ChannelHash string `json:"channelHash"` // hex-encoded single byte
+	PacketHash  string `json:"packetHash"`  // hex-encoded
+	SenderName  string `json:"senderName"`
+	Content     string `json:"content"`
+	SentAt      int64  `json:"sentAt"` // epoch ms
+}
+
 // packetObservationEvent is the JSON payload for a packetObservation WS event.
 // Shape matches the design doc § Server → Client events.
 type packetObservationEvent struct {
@@ -666,10 +676,35 @@ func (w *Worker) handlePayloadTypeSideEffects(ctx context.Context, packet *meshc
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("ingest[%s]: db: insert channel message failed: %v", w.cfg.BrokerName, err)
 		}
+
+		evt := channelMessageEvent{
+			ChannelID:   channelID,
+			ChannelHash: hex.EncodeToString(channelHashBytes),
+			PacketHash:  hex.EncodeToString(packetHash),
+			SenderName:  payload.Sender,
+			Content:     payload.Text,
+			SentAt:      time.Unix(int64(payload.Timestamp), 0).UnixMilli(),
+		}
+		w.broadcast(hub.EventChannelMessage, iata, 0, fmt.Sprintf("%02x", grpTxt.ChannelHash), evt)
 		return
 	}
 }
 
+func (w *Worker) broadcast(eventType hub.EventType, iata string, payloadType uint8, channelHash string, payload any) {
+	b, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("ingest[%s]: failed to marshal %s event: %v", w.cfg.BrokerName, eventType, err)
+		return
+	}
+	w.hub.Broadcast(hub.Event{
+		Type:        eventType,
+		Payload:     b,
+		IATA:        iata,
+		PayloadType: payloadType,
+		ChannelHash: channelHash,
+	})
+}
+
 // fanOut builds and broadcasts the packetObservation event to connected WS clients.
 func (w *Worker) fanOut(packetHash []byte, p *meshcore.Packet, iata string, isFirst bool, observerName string, observerID uuid.UUID, heardAt time.Time, rssi int16, snr float32, sourceBroker string) {
 	evt := packetObservationEvent{}
@@ -686,17 +721,7 @@ func (w *Worker) fanOut(packetHash []byte, p *meshcore.Packet, iata string, isFi
 	evt.Observation.SNR = snr
 	evt.Observation.SourceBroker = sourceBroker
 
-	payload, err := json.Marshal(evt)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("ingest[%s]: failed to marshal packetObservation event: %v", w.cfg.BrokerName, err)
-		return
-	}
-	w.hub.Broadcast(hub.Event{
-		Type:        hub.EventPacketObservation,
-		Payload:     payload,
-		IATA:        iata,
-		PayloadType: p.PayloadType(),
-	})
+	w.broadcast(hub.EventPacketObservation, iata, p.PayloadType(), "", evt)
 }
 
 // parseNumber handles RSSI and SNR fields that different observer types send as