The controversy surrounding Helon Francis’ 2025 Calypso Monarch performance did not begin with his lyrics, his delivery, or even the competition itself. It began with silence—the sudden, jarring silence that fell over TTT’s broadcast just as Helon stepped forward to defend his crown. For viewers across Trinidad and the diaspora, the audio blackout felt suspicious, even deliberate. In a cultural space where calypso has long been a vehicle for truth‑telling, any interruption is bound to raise eyebrows.
Fortunately, WACK Radio 90.1FM carried the full performance without interruption, preserving the moment for those who refused to miss it. Yet even as WACK filled the gap left by TTT, a new problem emerged—one not of technical failure, but of misrepresentation.
During the live broadcast, an unscripted exchange occurred between DJ Aaron and WACK’s CEO, Mr. Kenny Phillips. It was brief, unpolished, and very clearly taken out of context. A clipped version of that moment was circulated online, and from that fragment, an entire false narrative was constructed. What should have been a simple clarification became the spark for accusations, confusion, and reputational damage.
At the center of the controversy is a single word: “They.”
Yet TNN reported something entirely different. Their article claimed that the “NAPA Chairman”—a title inaccurately applied to Mr. Phillips in this context—told a commenter that Helon’s mic was muted on TTT. The implication was clear: that he was admitting responsibility or at least confirming insider knowledge of censorship. But the recording does not support that interpretation. It contradicts it.
The decision to label Mr. Phillips as the “NAPA Chairman” only deepens the confusion. On that night, he was present as the CEO of WACK Radio, overseeing their livestream—not acting in any NAPA capacity. If TNN genuinely believed he had confessed to muting the audio, why not identify him by the role he was actually performing? Why invoke NAPA at all?
The framing feels deliberate, and the consequences were immediate.
TTT, for its part, never accused WACK Radio of wrongdoing. They described their broadcast failure as a technical issue—and while the public still awaits a more detailed explanation, nothing from TTT suggests WACK was involved. Yet WACK became collateral damage in the fallout. Their livestream was abruptly cut. Access to their YouTube and Facebook feeds disappeared. The timing was too sharp, too coincidental, to ignore.
Something is not adding up.
What is clear, however, is that TNN’s reporting contributed to a narrative built on a misquote. And when media outlets misrepresent facts—especially in a cultural space as emotionally charged and historically significant as calypso—the impact is real. Reputations are damaged. Trust erodes. Communities fracture.
At minimum, TNN owes WACK Radio and Mr. Phillips a correction. Ideally, an apology. Yet the misleading video and text remain online, untouched, unamended, and unacknowledged.
The story is still unfolding, and more clarity will come. But for now, one truth stands firm: Words matter. Accuracy matters. And when the media gets it wrong, accountability matters even more.
For those who missed it, who did not have the time to sit back and listen to the song, we have as recorded by WACK Visual Radio 90.1FM... Kaiso, Kaiso. Yes, Kaiso! But... no to Kankalang!