A British radio station mistakenly announced King Charles III’s death after a staffer played pre-recorded announcements “out of curiosity,” according to the U.K.’s media regulator.
Radio Caroline aired three statements declaring the King dead during “The Barry Marsh Show” on May 19, according to an Ofcom ruling released Monday. The national anthem was also played before one of the statements was repeated.
The station then went silent for roughly 16 minutes for listeners on DAB+, while AM listeners continued to hear music.
Radio Caroline told Ofcom that an employee performing maintenance on a studio computer discovered three audio files pre-recorded for use in the event of the King’s death. Despite “strict instructions” governing when they could be aired, the staffer played them “out of curiosity.”
The recordings interrupted the feed from the show’s remote presenter and went out over the air. After realizing what had happened, the staffer stopped the files, “panicked and left the premises,” according to the station.
The presenter did not immediately realize the show had been knocked off the air. Programming eventually resumed, with an apology and correction airing roughly 30 minutes after the false report.
Ofcom found Radio Caroline in breach of two provisions of its Broadcasting Code, including requirements that news be reported with “due accuracy” and that significant mistakes be corrected quickly. The regulator called the report a “very significant inaccuracy,” pointing to the repeated announcements, the claim that news media had confirmed the King’s death and the playing of the national anthem.
Radio Caroline said it took the incident “very seriously.” The staffer was reprimanded and apologized, while the recordings were removed from the studio computer to prevent another accidental broadcast.
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