Radio Caroline breached Ofcom rules after mistakenly announcing King Charles’s death

Radio Caroline said the presenter did not realise they were off air because, as is common practice, they were streaming the programme remotely.

The station said its presenter “would not realise that they had gone ‘off air’ unless they were monitoring their output via an internet monitor.”

It added that the station director was across the station’s AM output but was on a call when the inaccurate announcement was broadcast.

The station director noticed the issue only when he heard continuous music instead of the scheduled programme and contacted the engineer, who was aware of the issue and was already investigating.

A brief apology was then made, with the presenter saying the earlier information had been “incorrect” and that it was due to “a technical issue.”

The station said it “took the matter very seriously” and acted “as soon as possible”.

The staff member involved has been reprimanded, and the obituary files have been moved off the studio desktop to prevent a repeat incident.

Radio Caroline noted Ofcom received only two complaints about the incident and said the station is “100% volunteer-led” without the resources of larger broadcasters.

Founded in 1964 as an offshore pirate station, Radio Caroline broadcast from a ship until 1991, when it was shipwrecked off the Kent coast.

The station is still based off the north-east Essex coast, although many presenters broadcast their shows remotely.