Radio Caroline breached Ofcom rules after mistakenly announcing King's death

Radio Caroline has been found to have breached Ofcom rules after mistakenly announcing the death of King Charles III. On 19 May, the station aired three pre-recorded announcements stating that the King had passed away, during a show hosted by Barry Marsh. These claims were made without confirmation from news media, followed by the national anthem and a 16-minute period of silence for AM listeners, while DAB+ listeners heard back-up music.

A correction and apology were broadcast 30 minutes later, after the staff member who accidentally played the files realized their mistake, panicked, and left the premises. Ofcom ruled that the incident violated Rule 5.1, which mandates accurate reporting of news, and Rule 5.2, which requires swift correction of significant mistakes. The false announcement was described as a "very significant inaccuracy" on a matter of "very high public interest."

The mistake occurred when a staff member performing maintenance accessed pre-recorded obituary files intended for use in the event of the King's death, playing them out of curiosity. The presenter, unaware of the broadcast, streamed the program remotely, relying on an internet monitor to detect any issues. The station director, focused on the AM output, was on a call and only learned of the problem when he heard continuous music instead of the scheduled program.

Upon hearing the issue, the station director contacted the engineer, who was already investigating the matter.

Radio Caroline issued a brief apology, stating that the earlier information was incorrect, attributing the mistake to a technical issue. The station expressed its seriousness in addressing the matter promptly. The staff member responsible for the error was reprimanded, and the obituary files were removed from the studio desktop to prevent future incidents.

Ofcom received only two complaints about the incident, acknowledging Radio Caroline as a 100% volunteer-led operation, lacking the resources of larger broadcasters. Established in 1964 as a pirate station broadcasting from a ship, Radio Caroline has been based off the north-east Essex coast since 1991.