Ofcom: King Charles’ death incorrectly announced on Radio Caroline breached broadcasting rules
The station announced King Charles’ death earlier this year, despite him being alive and well.
An investigation by the UK’s media watchdog has revealed an inaccurate radio announcement about King Charles’ death came from a staff member’s “curiosity”, not from a technical error.
During the Barry Marsh Show on Radio Caroline on May 19, listeners were shocked to learn of the King’s death during an announcement on the station.
“This is Radio Caroline. We have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of formal respect following the passing of his Majesty King Charles III,” the voice said.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“This is Radio Caroline. His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect we will now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice.
“The news media has confirmed that his Majesty King Charles III has passed away. Consequently as a mark of respect, Radio Caroline is suspending its normal programmes.”
God Save the King was then broadcast to the station’s listeners before they were plunged into silence for about 15 minutes.
However, King Charles was, and remains, alive and well.
About 30 minutes later, a correction and apology was broadcast.
Media watchdog Ofcom have now found that the station breached broadcasting rules.
They said that once the staff member realised their mistake, they “panicked and left the premises”, as reported by the BBC.
Ofcom said the error breached rules 5.1, which requires news to be reported accurately, and 5.5, which requires quick corrections for any errors.
They said the mistake was a “very significant inaccuracy” and its subject matter was of “very high interest”.
It happened when a maintenance staff member found the pre-recorded obituary files and played them “out of curiosity” but accidentally aired them and cut off the presenter.
The presenter was recording remotely, as is common practice at the station, and did not realise they were off air.
The station said the presenter “would not realise that they had gone ‘off air’ unless they were monitoring their output via an internet monitor”.
To make matters worse, the station director who usually did monitor the output was on a phone call at the time of the announcement.
In the following days, station manager Peter Moore issued an apology on Facebook, explaining that a “computer error” was to blame.
“Due to a computer error at our main studio the Death of a Monarch procedure, which all UK stations hold in readiness while hoping not to require, was accidentally activated on Tuesday afternoon (19 May), mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” he wrote.
“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology.
“Caroline has been pleased to broadcast Her Majesty the Queen’s, and now the King’s, Christmas Message and we hope to do so for many years to come.
“We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused.”
The staff member involved has since been reprimanded and the digital obituary files have been removed from the desktop to avoid any repeating.
Radio Caroline was founded in 1964 as an offshore pirate radio station and is the subject of the 2009 film The Boat that Rocked with Philip Seymour Hoffman.
It has about 100,000 monthly listeners and is “100 per cent volunteer-led”.
