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๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Nigeria /Culture & Society

UK radio broke rules announcing King Charles III's death

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A UK radio station, Radio Caroline, breached broadcasting rules by accidentally announcing the death of King Charles III.
  • The incident occurred when a staff member accessed pre-recorded files out of curiosity during remote maintenance, broadcasting them on air.
  • The UK regulator Ofcom found the station in breach of rules requiring accuracy and prompt correction of significant mistakes.

Radio Caroline, a station with a history as a pirate broadcaster, has apologized after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles III in May. The UK's broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, stated on Monday that the station breached two rules.

We have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III.

โ€” Radio Caroline broadcastThis was one of the messages aired by Radio Caroline falsely announcing the death of King Charles III.

Ofcom received two complaints about the broadcast. The station explained that a staff member was performing maintenance on the studio computer while the program was streamed remotely. The staff member accessed pre-recorded sound files, intended for the event of the monarch's death, out of curiosity. This action interrupted the remote stream and broadcast the files.

very significant inaccuracy

โ€” OfcomThe UK regulator described the broadcast error and the delay in correcting it.

The staff member reportedly panicked and left the premises after realizing the mistake. The remote presenter, unaware they were off-air, did not immediately respond to calls from station personnel who had noticed the error. The station confirmed the staff member responsible had been reprimanded and apologized, and the pre-recorded files were removed from the computer.

considerable length of time

โ€” OfcomThe UK regulator described the broadcast error and the delay in correcting it.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.