Click Here

       *Two recent and unrelated events involving outright racism start the New Year off on a sour note. Casual racist remarks of a Boston newspaper exec are exposed, and some Philly shock jocks are reprimanded for their insensitive humor – only after the clip is posted on the Internet.    

        “Boston Metro” executive Steve Nylundh was reported to have made a racist joke at a company party near Rome, Italy in April 2003.  It has become relevant recently because 49 percent of the paper is being purchased by the “New York Times,” which has had to answer questions about the racism inherent in its newest acquisition.   

       The offensive joke, writes mediachannel.org, was told in front of about 15 or 20 people by Nylundh, the global newspaper chain's leading North America executive. Nylundh used the N-word when referring to black men and discussed the length of their penises.

       One former company executive said that racist humor was commonplace at the company.   

       "There were often jokes made in private by the northern Europeans. The corporate culture encouraged it. The company is run by people who are racist and ugly," he said.     

       Since this report, the "Times" released a statement saying it "is committed to fair treatment of all employees based on respect, accountability, and standards of excellence."

      Meanwhile, syndicated morning shock jocks Star and Buc Wild aired a skit where Star – posing as a white father – phoned a business to try and buy beads for his six-year-old daughter so that she could look like tennis star Serena Williams. After learning that his call was routed to a service rep in India, Star screamed at the woman, calling her "a filthy rat eater" and threatening to "come out there and choke the... out of you." (Click HERE to hear the call.)

      This clip aired without complaint on Philadelphia’s WUSL-FM (Power 99) last month. But after an employee posted it on the station’s Web site, more than 130 angry e-mails and phone calls poured in, reports the “Philadelphia Inquirer.” 

      Community-affairs director Loraine Ballard Morrill told the paper that the station reprimanded the employee who posted the clip on the Web, and that station managers have had "extensive discussions" with Star since learning about the clip Thursday.

      "It was made clear this is not acceptable, and it won't happen again," Morrill told the paper.

       Star, whose real name is Troi Torain; and Buc Wild, his half-brother, Timothy Joseph, are also syndicated in Hartford, Conn., and Augusta, Ga., and are to return to New York this month, on WWPR-FM. They aired in the Big Apple from 2000 to 2003, but were suspended after Star made fun of Aaliyah’s death in a plane crash.