Ofcom ruled that Radio Caroline violated broadcasting standards after a staff member accidentally aired pre-recorded messages announcing the King's death.

UK media regulator Ofcom has determined that community radio station Radio Caroline breached broadcasting rules following an accidental announcement of King Charles III's death in May. The station aired messages falsely stating the monarch had passed away, followed by the national anthem and a period of silence.

The incident and regulatory response

The broadcast included a message stating that normal programming was suspended as a mark of respect for the King. Following the announcement, the station played the national anthem and approximately 16 minutes of silence. Ofcom, which received two complaints regarding the incident, stated that the error constituted a significant inaccuracy and that the station failed to correct the mistake promptly.

Cause of the broadcast error

Radio Caroline explained that a staff member triggered the files while performing maintenance on a studio computer. The individual reportedly accessed pre-recorded files intended for use in the event of the monarch's death out of curiosity, which interrupted the remote stream. After realizing the error, the staff member left the premises. The station noted that the remote presenter was not monitoring the output and did not immediately realize the broadcast had been interrupted.

Station corrective actions

In response to the incident, Radio Caroline has reprimanded the staff member involved, who has since apologized. The station confirmed that the pre-recorded files have been removed from the studio computer system.