In Reply to: We are all in hot water posted by mh on August 10, 2026 at 10:09:55
Radio Caroline has been found in breach of broadcasting rules after it mistakenly announced the death of King Charles III.
The station aired three pre-recorded announcements falsely stating the King had died during the Barry Marsh Show on 19 May.
The messages claimed the "news media" had "confirmed" the death, and were followed by the national anthem and 16 minutes of silence on DAB+, while AM listeners heard back-up music. A correction and apology was broadcast 30 minutes later.
The ruling by media watchdog Ofcom stated that once the staff member who accidentally played the files realised what they had done, they stopped playing them, "panicked and left the premises".
Ofcom said the incident breached Rule 5.1, which requires news to be reported with due accuracy, and Rule 5.2, which says significant mistakes must be corrected quickly.
It described the false announcement as a "very significant inaccuracy" on a matter of "very high public interest".
The mistake happened after a staff member carrying out maintenance accessed pre‑recorded obituary files intended for use in the event of the King's death.
Ofcom said the files were played "out of curiosity", cutting off the presenter's remote stream and putting the announcements on air.