Star & Buc Wild
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Star & Buc Wild was a syndicated radio show which was broadcast out of WWPR-FM Power 105.1 in New York City. "Star" (real name Troi Torain) was the host of the show. It was taken off the air on the morning of May 10, 2006 while Clear Channel investigated on-air remarks Torain made concerning a rival DJ's family. Clear Channel rapidly determined the comments to be "wholly unacceptable" and Star was fired on the afternoon of May 10, 2006.[1] The Star & Buc Wild Show has not aired since.
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[edit] About the show
Star & Buc Wild started out as publishers of their own magazine AROUND THE WAY CONNECTIONS (1993 - 1997). They then went on to write a monthly column (Reality Check) in the SOURCE magazine (1995 - 1998). The duo then started producing and directing their Public Access show (1998 – 1999). From there the boys became the host of MTV's Beat Suite show (1999 - 2000).
In March of 2000 they became the host of Hot 97 in NYC. Soon they gained national attention for playing cringe-inducing sound effects while reporting the death of R&B singer Aaliyah in 2001. In 2003, Emmis and the show parted ways, at which point the program moved to Clear Channel. While Star & Buc Wild sat out a non-compete with Emmis, they worked first in Hartford (on Power 104.1 -- the same signal that once hosted Bubba The Love Sponge in mornings when it was modern rock WMRQ) and then in Philadelphia on Power 99. Star & Buc Wild soon gained record ratings, beating rival shock-jock Howard Stern for the #1 spot on morning radio.
The show again drew attention in 2004 for an on-air prank call to an Indian call center in which the show hosts heaped racist and misogynistic abuse on the Indian call center operator. The show hosts received a one-day suspension over this incident.
The Star & Buc Wild show's primary personalities included producer Miguel Candaleria, who had been with the duo since Hot 97; "White Trash" Helene, "Chris the Queer" who was the show's gay newsman, and Star's brother Timothy Joseph aka Buc Wild.
[edit] "White Trash" Helene
"White Trash" Helene is the on-air name of radio sidekick Helene Sola, the only regular on-air female of the show. Listeners know Helene for her distinctive laugh and up-beat personality, and whose mic is frequently turned off by Star. On the segment Losers, Burnouts and Wannabes, and Those Creepin' on a Come-up Celebrity Report, Sola reports on entertainment and celebrities. Like many of the staff, she opines on current events.
Helene has previously worked for the Red Cross. She speaks Spanish and was once an ESL teacher in New York City. She is currently learning Arabic.
Helene is a native of Hamden, Connecticut, where the show previously aired out of WPHH, Power 104.1. She joined the show as a winner among 900 other females candidates for an on-air role.
Helene is a graduate of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.
[edit] Threats against rival DJ's family
On May 8, 2006, host Star made on-air remarks in response to threats made to his mother by DJ Envy (real name Rashawn Casey), a rival DJ on Hot 97. Among some of the on-air remarks included "I will come for your kids" and I want to "do an R. Kelly...on your seed," a reference to the 2002 videotapes allegedly showing R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl and then urinating on her. Star also offered $500 to any listener who could provide information about the rival DJ's daughter's school and used racial slurs when talking about Casey's wife. Star went on to say that he wanted to "put mayonaisse in the ass cheeks" of the rival DJ's young daughter, immediately adding that he also desired to take a bite out of it[2][3][4].
Other statements Torain made on the air during this period include:
“Yes, I disrespected your seed,” Star said live on the air about Envy’s daughter. “If you didn’t hear me, I said I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed... on your little baby girl.
"Where does this kid go to school? I got 500 bucks for that information. Oh, yes, I'll come for your kids."
Star went on to warn that he carries a gun and called Envy's wife, Gia Casey, a "whore" and various anti-Asian slurs.
Councilman John Liu, Gia Casey, and several other elected officials appeared at New York City Hall on May 10, 2006, to denounce Star's remarks. Clear Channel quickly announced that Star was being suspended pending an investigation. A few hours after that statement was released, the station decided that the comments went too far and Star's relationship with Clear Channel was terminated. [5][6]
[edit] Star fired by Clear Channel
On May 10th, 2006, Star was fired from his job on "The Star & Buc Wild Show" by his employer, Clear Channel Radio, after making a number of extremely controversial on-air comments about the 4-year old daughter of a rival Hot 97 radio host, DJ Envy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 10th, 2006, Clear Channel Radio senior vice president Rob Williams called Star's comments "wholly unacceptable".
“As of May 10, 2006, he is no longer with Power 105.1 or Clear Channel Radio. We sincerely apologize to those who may have been offended by his remarks."[7]
An incident complaint was filed with the Federal Communications Commission by Queens councilman John Liu. Liu was subsequently told by FCC investigators that Star's on-air comments could affect his station's broadcasting license.
[edit] Legal troubles
On May 13, 2006, Star was arrested on charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child stemming from his on-air threats against a rival DJ's family. The $2000 bail was posted and he was released.[8] Charges against Star were later dropped. [9]
On August 2, 2006, Star's mother, filed an $11 million lawsuit against Emmis Radio for disparaging comments Hot 97 disc jockey Miss Jones made about her. The federal lawsuit contends that Miss Jones defamed Hightower during an on-air rant in which Jones described her as a "a prostitute." The complaint, filed in a Manhattan court, also quotes the disc jockey as saying, "Your white mom was nothing but a prostitute that your dad turned out," and "got knocked up by the blackest, blackest, blackest nigger."
[edit] Star's response
Troi Torain appeared on the O'Reilly Factor television show on August 7, 2006 and defended the on-air comments that resulted in his termination by stating that it was simply "slang talk."
Star has filed a $55 million defamation lawsuit against John Liu, the city councilman who Torain claims prompted his firing. [10]
[edit] Future of the Star & Buc Wild Show
After the termination of Star's relationship with Clear Channel, the future of the Star & Buc Wild Show remains unknown. Star owns the full rights to the show [11] and could shop it to other broadcast networks at any time.
