Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsWorldU.K. radio worker ran away after mistakenly playing report about King Charles' death: watchdogCommunity station says the staff member played the pre-recorded files 'out of curiosity' without realizing until after that they were being aired liveAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.The U.K. radio regulator says a community station broke the rules when it accidentally aired a pre-recorded report about King Charles' death. Photo by Oli SCARFF /AFPA community radio station breached the rules after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles III in a May broadcast, a U.K. watchdog said on Monday.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorRadio Caroline, a former pirate radio that now mostly plays rock music, apologized in May after airing messages falsely announcing the monarch’s death.One of the messages had said, “we have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III.”The national anthem was then played, followed by around 16 minutes of silence before the regular programme resumed.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe presenter apologized 30 minutes after the messages were initially triggered, Ofcom said.The regulator, which received two complaints about the broadcast, said the “very significant inaccuracy” and the “considerable length of time” taken to acknowledge the error breached two of its rules.One requires news reports to be accurate and impartial.The other requires significant mistakes to be acknowledged and corrected on air promptly.Radio Caroline told Ofcom the error occurred when a member of staff accessed sound files pre-recorded in the event of the monarch’s death while carrying out maintenance on the studio computer, as the programme was being streamed remotely.The staff member played the files “out of curiosity,” which stopped the stream from the presenter’s remote location and broadcast the files on air.The person then reportedly “panicked and left the premises” after realizing what had happened, according to the Ofcom statement.Radio Caroline said the remote presenter “would not realize that they had gone ‘off air’ unless they were monitoring their output via an internet monitor.”The presenter, believing they were still on air, was not actively monitoring their phone and did not immediately respond to calls from people at the station who had noticed the error, the report said.The station said the person who played the files had been “reprimanded” and had “apologized.”It added the pre-recorded files had now been removed from the studio computer.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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