A British radio station has been found in breach of broadcasting rules after airing an announcement that King Charles III had died.
UK media regulator Ofcom ruled on Monday that Radio Caroline violated broadcasting standards over the May incident, describing the announcement as a “very significant inaccuracy”.
The station, a former pirate radio broadcaster now known mainly for rock music, had interrupted its normal programming with a message announcing the monarch’s death.
“We have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III,” the message said.
The national anthem was then played, followed by about 16 minutes of silence before normal programming resumed.
Ofcom said the error happened after a member of staff accessed audio files that had been pre-recorded for use in the event of the King’s death while carrying out maintenance on a studio computer.
According to the regulator, the employee played the files “out of curiosity”, inadvertently cutting off a programme being broadcast remotely.
The staff member reportedly panicked and left the premises after realising what had happened.
Radio Caroline said the presenter, who was broadcasting remotely, did not immediately realise that the programme had gone off air.
The presenter was also not actively monitoring their phone and therefore failed to immediately respond to calls from colleagues who had noticed the mistake.
An apology was eventually broadcast about 30 minutes after the original announcement.
Ofcom said it received two complaints over the broadcast and ruled that both the inaccurate announcement and the delay in correcting it amounted to breaches of its rules.
The regulator said broadcasters are required to ensure that news is reported with due accuracy and impartiality, while significant mistakes must be acknowledged and corrected on air promptly.
Radio Caroline said the staff member responsible for triggering the announcement had been reprimanded and had apologised.
