Radio Station’s Automation System Error Triggers False King Death Announcement

A UK radio station’s computerised broadcast automation system accidentally activated its pre-prepared “death of a monarch” protocol, causing it to announce that King Charles III had died.

Radio Caroline, based in Maldon, Essex, said the erroneous announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon, 19 May 2026, due to a computer error at its main studio. The station’s digital playout system automatically switched to the emergency protocol and fell silent, as required by the procedure, before staff manually restored normal programming and issued an on-air apology.

Station manager Peter Moore explained in a social media statement: “Due to a computer error at our main studio, the death of a monarch procedure… was accidentally activated… mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away.” He added that the station had been “pleased to broadcast Her Majesty the Queen’s, and now the King’s, Christmas message and we hope to do so for many years to come,” and apologised to the King and listeners for any distress caused.

The incident highlights the vulnerabilities of automated broadcast systems still widely used by radio stations. Most UK broadcasters maintain pre-recorded contingency files for major national events, including royal deaths, which are integrated into digital automation software. When triggered, these systems typically interrupt regular programming, play the announcement, and often go silent until manual override. Radio Caroline noted that the previous day’s broadcast playback was temporarily unavailable on its website following the glitch.

The error occurred as the King and Queen were on the first day of a three-day official visit to Northern Ireland. Radio Caroline, originally a 1960s pirate station that pioneered offshore broadcasting, now operates legally and relies on modern studio automation technology for its rock music format.