Radio Caroline fined for accidentally announcing King's death on air

British media regulator Ofcom found Radio Caroline in breach of broadcasting rules after the station mistakenly announced the death of King Charles III during a live show on May 19.

The incident occurred when a staff member accessed pre-recorded obituary files while performing maintenance on the studio computer. The files, which had been prepared for use in the event of the monarch's death, were played "out of curiosity," according to Ofcom's ruling. The accidental playback interrupted the remote broadcast of the Barry Marsh Show and sent the announcements to air.

Three pre-recorded messages falsely stated that the King had died, with one claiming the "news media" had "confirmed" the death. The national anthem was then played, followed by approximately 16 minutes of silence for DAB+ listeners, while AM listeners heard backup music instead. The staff member, upon realizing the mistake, stopped the files, "panicked and left the premises."

The presenter, who was streaming the programme remotely, did not immediately realize the show had gone off air. A correction and apology were broadcast 30 minutes after the false announcement. The station director was on a call when the error occurred and only noticed the issue when he heard continuous music instead of the scheduled programme.

Ofcom received two complaints about the broadcast and found Radio Caroline in breach of two provisions of its Broadcasting Code. The regulator cited the station's failure to report news with "due accuracy" and its delay in correcting what it described as a "very significant inaccuracy" on a matter of "very high public interest."

Radio Caroline told Ofcom that the presenter would not have realized they had gone off air unless they were actively monitoring their output via an internet monitor. The station said the staff member involved was reprimanded and apologized. The pre-recorded obituary files have since been removed from the studio computer to prevent another accidental broadcast.