British radio station mistakenly reports death of King
Radio Caroline, which broadcasts in the south and Midlands of the UK, drew public attention on May 19 due to an unexpected error. The station incorrectly reported on-air that British King Charles III had passed away.
Listeners reported that the program was suddenly interrupted. Afterward, the presenters announced that the broadcast was being halted due to the death of King Charles III. Then, the British national anthem, 'God Save the King,' was played.
Following the anthem, the radio remained silent for about 15 minutes. When the presenters returned to the air, they apologized to listeners for the incident.
Later, Radio Caroline issued a separate statement, explaining that the incident was caused by a technical error on a computer. According to the station, this glitch automatically triggered the 'Death of the Monarch' protocol used by British broadcasters.
In accordance with this protocol, it is stipulated that after the announcement of a monarch's death, broadcasts should continue in a special manner, and in some cases, a period of silence should be observed. The fact that these requirements were met allowed the error to be identified more quickly.
Station manager Peter Moore apologized for the situation, noting that Radio Caroline has happily broadcast Christmas messages from the late Queen and now the King. He expressed hope that the station would continue this tradition for many years to come.
In short, Radio Caroline mistakenly reported the death of King Charles III due to a technical error. This 'protocol disaster' on air was quickly corrected, but the 15 minutes of silence was clearly a serious shock for the listeners.
