LONDON – Web Desk: A British radio station has apologized to the public and the royal family after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles III, causing brief panic and confusion.
According to AFP, former British pirate radio station Radio Caroline mistakenly broadcast the news of the monarch’s passing on Tuesday, briefly going off air as a result. The incident occurred while King Charles and Queen Camilla were actually on an official tour of Northern Ireland, attending various engagements.
Radio station manager Peter Moore explained in a statement on social media that the error was caused by a glitch in the studio’s computer system, which automatically activated the special protocol for announcing the death of a sovereign. “All UK radio stations have a special broadcast protocol for the death of a king or queen, but this time the system was triggered by mistake,” Moore said.
According to Moore, once the system activated, the radio station fell silent, immediately alerting staff to the situation. The program was restored and an on-air apology was issued. The station said in its statement, “We apologize to King Charles and our listeners for this error and any distress caused.”
Radio Caroline was originally founded in 1964 to challenge the BBC’s monopoly and broadcast for many years from ships at sea.
