Radio Caroline apologizes after false Karol Iii, Król Wielkiej Brytanii report
Radio Caroline apologized on Wednesday after a computer error in its main studio in Maldon, east Essex, led it to falsely report that karol iii, król wielkiej brytanii had died. The mistake happened on Tuesday afternoon and briefly triggered the station’s monarch-death procedure.
Peter Moore, the station’s head, said Radio Caroline had to restore normal programming and apologize on air to listeners after the false announcement. He wrote that the station had stopped broadcasting in line with the guidelines and needed to move quickly to regular programming.
Moore on Radio Caroline
Moore said the station used a procedure that all British radio stations have prepared for the death of a monarch, though everyone hopes it will never be needed. He also said Radio Caroline had proudly broadcast the Christmas messages of Queen Elizabeth II and now King Charles III.
In his Facebook post, Moore apologized to His Majesty and to listeners for any distress caused. He wrote, “Radio Caroline następnie przerwało nadawanie, zgodnie z obowiązującymi wytycznymi, co uświadomiło nam, że musimy jak najszybciej przywrócić normalny program i przeprosić słuchaczy na antenie” and “Przepraszamy Jego Królewską Mość oraz naszych słuchaczy za wszelkie wywołane niepokoje.”
Maldon Broadcast Error
The false message was aired while King Charles III and Queen Camilla were visiting Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Radio Caroline did not say how long the wrong message went unnoticed, but the Tuesday broadcast ran between 13.58 and 17.00. By Wednesday afternoon, the recording of the show was no longer available on the station’s website.
Radio Caroline’s history helps explain why the error drew attention beyond a routine broadcast mistake. The station was founded in 1964 as a response to the ’s monopoly, broadcast for years from ships off the coast of England, and ended broadcasting from sea in 1990 after laws introduced in 1967 led to the closure of many pirate stations.
The episode left the station with a simple task after the error: get back to normal programming and put the correction on air. For listeners, the important point is that the false death report was withdrawn and apologized for, but the station’s own account shows the mistake was severe enough to activate a protocol designed for one of the most sensitive broadcasts a station can face.
