Radio Caroline Breached Ofcom Rules with False King Charles Death Announcement
On May 19, during the Barry Marsh Show, Radio Caroline, a pirate radio station that began broadcasting in 1964, accidentally announced that King Charles III had passed away, which broke UK broadcasting rules. They played three pre-recorded tributes, the national anthem, and then observed 16 minutes of silence on DAB+. About half an hour later, they issued a correction. Ofcom responded by labeling this a 'very significant inaccuracy,' highlighting violations of Rule 5.1 and Rule 5.2. The error happened when a curious staff member accessed obituary files. Taking the matter seriously, Radio Caroline reprimanded the individual and moved the files to prevent similar issues. Interestingly, only two complaints were received about the broadcast.
Key facts
- Radio Caroline breached Ofcom rules after mistakenly announcing King Charles III's death.
- The false announcement aired during the Barry Marsh Show on 19 May.
- Three pre-recorded obituary messages were played, followed by the national anthem and 16 minutes of silence on DAB+.
- Ofcom ruled the incident breached Rule 5.1 (due accuracy) and Rule 5.2 (correction of significant mistakes).
- The mistake occurred when a staff member accessed pre-recorded obituary files 'out of curiosity'.
- A correction and apology were broadcast 30 minutes later.
- The staff member has been reprimanded, and the obituary files have been moved off the studio desktop.
- Radio Caroline is a volunteer-led station founded in 1964 as an offshore pirate station.
Entities
Institutions
- Radio Caroline
- Ofcom
- BBC
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Kent