A staff member of the British radio station Radio Caroline
A staff member of the British radio station Radio Caroline, who broadcast news about the death of British King Charles III in May, launched the vessel out of curiosity, according to TASS.
Consensus
- A Radio Caroline employee accidentally broadcast a false report about the death of UK King Charles III in May.
- The broadcast was triggered by the employee's curiosity while servicing studio equipment.
- The broadcast included a pre-recorded message announcing the king's death, followed by the national anthem and 15–16 minutes of silence.
- Radio Caroline ceased broadcasting temporarily and later issued an apology.
- The incident was investigated by the UK media regulator Ofcom.
- The employee was disciplined, receiving a formal warning.
- The station violated two broadcasting rules: disseminating false information and failing to provide timely clarification.
Points of divergence
- The employee fled the workplace after realizing the mistake. — riamo
- The employee attempted to warn the host but was not answered because the host believed they were still in the broadcast. — vedomosti
- The station's director initially blamed a computer malfunction, but Ofcom found the employee had ignored strict protocols for playing the recording. — vm
- 46 members of the royal family's security staff were suspended for sleeping on duty or leaving their posts, and two others were under investigation. — vedomosti
- The broadcast interruption lasted 15 minutes. — tg_tass_agency
Coverage (4 sources)
- Employee of British radio station started rumor about death of Charles III out of curiosity — РИАМО
- Employee of British radio station 'buried' Charles III out of curiosity — Ведомости
- British radio station Radio Caroline mistakenly reported death of Charles III, reported by newspaper The Independent. After the news... — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Media: Radio Caroline employee played recording of 'death' of King Charles III out of curiosity — Вечерняя Москва