A radio station’s bizarre King Charles blunder has come back to haunt it nearly three months after listeners were mistakenly told that the monarch had died.
Radio Caroline apologized in May after pre-recorded announcements declaring the King’s death unexpectedly interrupted its programming, but Britain’s broadcasting watchdog has now delivered its verdict on what happened.
More importantly, the investigation has revealed the surprisingly simple action that triggered the chaos and what the staffer responsible did after realizing the magnitude of the mistake.
4Radio Caroline has officially been found in breach of two sections of Britain’s Broadcasting Code following its May 19 broadcast.
Ofcom received two complaints after three pre-recorded statements announcing King Charles’ death interrupted “The Barry Marsh Show” at approximately 2:05 p.m.
The regulator determined that the station breached Rule 5.1, requiring news to be reported with due accuracy, and Rule 5.2, which requires significant news mistakes to be acknowledged and corrected quickly.
Ofcom regarded the error particularly seriously because information surrounding the health and well-being of the monarch carries an exceptionally high level of public interest.
The regulator also concluded that the way the false information was presented increased its credibility.
Listeners didn’t hear the claim only once. Multiple statements were broadcast, including one asserting that “news media” had confirmed the King’s death.
The national anthem was then played before one of the announcements was repeated.
Staffer Played King Charles Files ‘Out Of Curiosity’
4When the incident first unfolded, Radio Caroline attributed it publicly to a “computer error.”
As The Blast reported at the time, station manager Peter Moore said the station’s “Death of a Monarch” procedure had been accidentally activated at its main studio.
Ofcom’s investigation has now revealed considerably more about how that computer error occurred.
Radio Caroline explained to the regulator that a staff member was performing maintenance on a studio computer while Barry Marsh was presenting his program remotely.
During that work, the employee discovered three sound files that had been pre-recorded for use in the event of King Charles’ death.
The files came with strict instructions governing when they should be used.
However, according to the station’s explanation to Ofcom, the employee played them “out of curiosity.”
Doing so stopped Marsh’s remote stream and sent the death announcements directly over the air.
The employee apparently realized the mistake but did not stick around to help resolve it. Radio Caroline told Ofcom the individual stopped the files before they “panicked and left the premises.”
Radio Caroline’s 30-Minute Response Wasn’t Good Enough For Ofcom
The staffer’s departure contributed to an unusual chain of events.
DAB+ listeners were left with approximately 16 minutes of silence, while those listening on AM heard continuous backup music.
Because Marsh was broadcasting remotely, he didn’t immediately know his program had been knocked off the air.
A station director eventually noticed that the expected programming was missing and contacted an engineer, who was already investigating.
Regular programming was restored, but approximately 30 minutes passed between the original false announcement and the on-air clarification.
Radio Caroline argued that considerable work had been happening behind the scenes during those 30 minutes and maintained that staff responded as quickly as realistically possible.
Ofcom wasn’t convinced. The watchdog described 30 minutes as a “considerable length of time” considering the significance of falsely announcing the death of a reigning monarch.
It also found another problem with the eventual apology, concluding that it did not adequately acknowledge the nature of the original mistake.
Staffer Behind King Charles Blunder Was ‘Reprimanded’
4Radio Caroline did take action after the embarrassing incident.
The station told Ofcom that the employee responsible had been “reprimanded” and had apologized.
It also made a practical change designed to prevent another curious employee from accidentally killing off the monarch.
The pre-recorded files were removed from the studio computer’s desktop and transferred to an external drive that can be accessed only when necessary.
Presenters and support staff were also reminded about the procedures governing the recordings.
Radio Caroline pointed to the fact that Ofcom received only two complaints, arguing that the incident likely caused “minimal offence or distress.”
The station also noted that it is entirely volunteer-run and doesn’t have the resources available to larger broadcasters.
Ofcom acknowledged the corrective measures but emphasized that responsibility for complying with broadcasting rules ultimately remains with the license holder, even when an individual employee makes the mistake.
King Charles Recently Recalled His Real Brush With Death
4While Radio Caroline deals with the fallout from prematurely announcing King Charles’ death, the 77-year-old monarch recently reflected on a genuine moment when his life was in danger.
During an August 1 meeting with members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey in Scotland, Charles recalled surviving the devastating 1988 avalanche near Klosters, Switzerland.
The accident occurred on March 10, 1988, while Charles and his group were skiing off-piste. His close friend Major Hugh Lindsay was killed, while Patti Palmer-Tomkinson suffered serious leg injuries.
Charles and other members of the group managed to reach safety before returning with their guide and a Swiss police officer to help dig the victims from the snow.
As The Blast reported, Assynt Mountain Rescue Team leader Ben Dyson later revealed that Charles discussed the experience while speaking about the dangers faced in mountainous terrain.
“He said ‘it was a close thing,’” Dyson recalled, adding that the experience remained very much in the King’s memory decades later.
According to Dyson, Charles’ own experience had also given him an appreciation for the work mountain rescue teams perform and the dangers their members face.
