VA Radio: Morning Host Kris Neil OUT At iHM's WKDW

Kris Neil

Longtime WKDW 900 AM morning show host Kris Losh, professionally known as Kris Neil, is no longer with the Staunton radio station.

Losh found out he had been let go Wednesday following his morning shift on the AM classic country station.

"Yeah, I had no idea," Losh said by telephone Thursday afternoon. "Maybe I'm naive."

According to Losh, the only reason he was given for the decision by parent company iHeartMedia was that his position had been eliminated.

iHeartMedia's Steve Knupp, the senior vice president of programming in Staunton and Harrisonburg, sent the following statement via  email to News-Leader.

"As of August 10th, Kris Neal (sic) will no longer be part of the morning show on WKDW AM. We appreciate all of his contributions during his time with us and wish him well."

Losh had been with WKDW 25 years, hosting the morning show the past 17 years.

"To be honest, that was my dream job," Losh said. "That's the station I wanted to be at, it's what I wanted to do. Even as a kid, doing morning show, it was a dream."

For the first eight years he was with WKDW, Losh was everything from the receptionist to fill-in host to traffic manager. He even played the station's old mascot, the K.D. Bird, once.

Then, in 2000, he was asked to be the substitute host of the morning show.

Conservative Pundit Jeffrey Lord OUT At CNN

Jeffrey Lord

CNN said Thursday it had cut ties with Jeffrey Lord, one of its most polarizing and ubiquitous personalities, after he used a phrase largely associated with Nazis in World War II.

According to Variety, the separation is the latest at the Time Warner-owned cable-news outlet, which has come under increased scrutiny since the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

On Twitter, Lord used the phrase “Sieg heil” in a retort to Angelo Carusone, who heads the liberal activist organization Media Matters for America.

“Nazi salutes are indefensible,” the network said in statement. “Jeffrey Lord is no longer with the network.”

Earlier, before CNN handed him his walking papers, Lord had insisted Media Matters chief Angelo Carusone was the bad guy here, and that he merely had been “mocking a fascist.”

Deadline.com reports Lord’s tweet was part of the latest social squabble with Carusone. The two are old foes and had been lobbing grenades at each other over an ad boycott campaign against Fox News’ primetime star Sean Hannity. One thing led to another, until Lord called the group “Media Matters Fascists” in a column this week in The American Spectator, describing MM’s members as “anti-free-speech bigots who, in typical fascist style, make it their mission to shut down speech they don’t like.”

Targeting Hannity’s sponsors to pull their ads is a “fascist game,” Lord insisted. “This is America, Angelo. Not Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany or Communist Russia.”

Nashville Radio: WGFX The Zone Launching New Line-Up

Cumulus Media-Nashville has officially announced a new programming line-up that will debut on Sports/Talk radio station WGFX/104.5 The Zone on Monday, August 14, 2017.

In the first of three moves, Blaine Bishop, former NFL Tennessee Titans Safety and longtime host on 104.5 The Zone, joins the Wake Up Zone Morning Crew, co-hosting the show with Mark Howard and Kevin Ingram weekdays from 6AM-10AM. Bishop moves to mornings from 104.5 The Zone’s 3HL show, which he has hosted since its debut in January 2010.

Blaine Bish

Concurrently, Frank Wycheck, former NFL Tennessee Titans Tight End - most fondly remembered for his execution of the Music City Miracle on January 8, 2000 – moves from his role as Co-Host of the Wake Up Zone to provide ongoing coverage of the Titans and NFL Analysis throughout the day on 104.5 The Zone. Wycheck joined the Wake Up Zone shortly after his retirement from the NFL in 2004. In his new role, he will provide feedback, insight and analysis for the Tennessee Titans, their opponents and the NFL, across the station’s on-air line-up. Wycheck will also continue to be heard on the Wake Up Zone with additional features during the Midday 180 and 3HL shows.
 
Dawn Davenport, former WKRN-News 2 and Sports Anchor, signs on to 104.5 the Zone’s 3HL show as Co-Host with Brent Dougherty and Mickey Ryan. 3HL airs weekdays from 3PM-6PM. Davenport has appeared frequently as a guest on 104.5 the Zone and has covered sports in Nashville since 2008. With her new role on 104.5 The Zone, Davenport becomes the first full-time female sports anchor on Nashville radio.  

Dawn Davenport

104.5 The Zone’s Midday 180 show will continue to air weekdays from 12Noon-3PM with Co-Hosts Chad Withrow, Jonathan Hutton and Paul Kuharsky.

Brad Willis, Program Director, WGFX/104.5 The Zone, said: “Much like the sports and teams we cover, we are always looking to put the best line-up on the field. These moves reflect our continued dedication to our position as Nashville’s top sports station, providing our listeners with the most in-depth coverage of their favorite teams.”

Willis continued: “We have, in Blaine and Frank, two cornerstone pieces of the Titans franchise during their time in Nashville. Their intimate knowledge of the Titans and the Nashville sports landscape is unparalleled in this market.”

Frank Wycheck

He added: “Since her arrival in Nashville in 2008, Dawn Davenport has immersed herself in the Nashville sports community. As someone who has covered every team in this town, and as a former SEC Athlete, we are excited to have her join Brent and Mickey on 3HL.”

Bishop said: “Monday, August 14th, is not just another day, it's a new opportunity and a new beginning!  I've enjoyed working as a part of the 3HL family, and will miss those guys! I’ve worked closely with Mark over the last 10 years with my involvement with the Titans and am looking forward to working with him and the Wake Up Zone team – including Kevin Ingram and our producer, Brandon. I can’t wait to break down the games with our fans every morning.”

Wycheck said: “I'm very excited to talk about the Titans and the NFL exclusively throughout the day. I am thrilled to continue playing a role on the Wake Up Zone and look forward to providing analysis throughout the day on Midday 180 and 3HL.”

WGFX 104.5 FM (58 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Davenport said: “I am thrilled to be joining the 104.5 Zone family!  I am fortunate to jump back into sports in Nashville with such an amazing station full of talented and kind people. I’ve come to know and like Brent and Mickey over the last few years and cannot wait to join a team that works so hard every day to create an entertaining show for our great city. I want to thank Brad Willis, Bruce Gilbert and Cumulus Nashville VP/Market Manager Allison Warren for the opportunity and their belief in me.”

CBS Sports Radio Kicks-Off Football With Dedicated Weekend

CBS RADIO’s CBS Sports Radio today announced its upcoming schedule of live weekend programming focused on football season. Shows will give listeners the latest news and coverage of NFL, college and fantasy football games throughout the upcoming 2017 regular season. The programming will air on over 330 affiliate stations across the country and supplement CBS Sports Radio’s already robust line-up of popular weekday sports shows. Listeners can hear CBS Sports Radio on-air, online at cbssportsradio.com or via the Radio.com app.

Eric Spitz

“Our listeners love football season so we’re excited to bring them another dedicated weekend schedule around one of their all-time favorite sports,” said Eric Spitz, Director of Programming, CBS Sports Radio. “This year’s line-up includes both CBS Sports Radio and CBSSports.com hosts and analysts, experts on the game and true fans themselves.”

Kicking off the season on Saturday, September 2 is EYE ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL hosted by CBS Sports Radio anchor Rich Ackerman, from 12:00-8:00 PM, ET. Ackerman will provide the latest updates on all of the top college football games interspersed with interviews from coaches, players, writers, broadcasters and more.

Next up, from 10:00 PM- 12:00 AM, ET, is EYE ON FANTASY FOOTBALL featuring CBSSports.com senior fantasy football writers Adam Aizer, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard on a rotating basis. Broadcasting from two locations – the CBS Sports Radio studios in New York and the CBSSports.com studios in Fort Lauderdale –the show will delve into all the latest football news affecting fantasy gamers.

The following weekend, on September 10, Sunday programming launches when CBS Sports Radio’s Damon Amendolara hosts SUNDAY MORNING FOOTBALL from 9:00-11:00 AM, ET. Known by his fans as D.A., Amendolara will preview the day’s football games and recap college football games from earlier in the week. For the first time, SUNDAY MORNING FOOTBALL will be simulcast on watchDA.com.

A simulcast of CBSSports.com’s FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY will air on Sunday s from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM, ET. Co-hosted by Nick Costos, Heath Cummings, Jamey Eisenberg, Pete Prisco, and Dave Richard, the show will bring fans the latest fantasy football news.
Finally, Rich Ackerman will also host EYE ON FOOTBALL from 12:00-8:00 PM, ET. The program will focus on the current news and scores from every NFL game, as well as featured interviews and more.

Here is a complete look at CBS Sports Radio’s weekend lineup:

Saturdays Beginning September 2
2:00-6:00 AM                          Nanos at Night with Paul Nanos
6:00–10:00 AM                       Moose and Maggie (Marc Malusis and Maggie Gray)
10:00 AM–12:00 PM               The Bullpen with Adam the Bull
12:00-8:00 PM                         Eye on College Football, hosted by Rich Ackerman
8:00–10:00 PM                        The Jody Mac Show
10:00 PM-12:00 AM                Eye on Fantasy Football, hosted by Adam Aizer, Jamey Eisenberg and                                                   Dave Richard

Sundays Beginning September 10
12:00–2:00 AM                       The Saturday Night Huge Show with Bill Simonson
2:00-6:00 AM                          Nanos at Night with Paul Nanos
6:00–9:00 AM                         The John Kincade Show
9:00-11:00 AM                        Sunday Morning Football, hosted by Damon Amendolara
11:00 AM-12:00 PM                Fantasy Football Today, hosted by Nick Costos, Heath Cummings,                                                         Jamey Eisenberg, Pete Prisco, and Dave Richard
12:00-8:00 PM                         Eye on Football, hosted by Rich Ackerman
8:00-10:00 PM                         The Jody Mac Show
10:00 PM – 2:00 AM               The Ken Carman Show

Complementing this dedicated weekend football schedule, CBS Sports Radio’s weekday shows and hosts will also feature all the latest in football from game analysis to newsworthy interviews and much more. In particular, former NFL players Tiki Barber and Brian Jones, co-hosts of “Tiki and Tierney” and “Gio and Jones,” respectively, will offer listeners their unique perspectives on the game and teams they’re so familiar with.

CBS Sports Radio’s Weekday Line-Up:
6:00-9:00 AM                          Gio and Jones, hosted by Gregg Giannotti and Brian Jones
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM               The D.A. Show, hosted by Damon Amendolara
12:00-3:00 PM                         The Jim Rome Show
3:00-6:00 PM                           Tiki and Tierney, hosted by Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney
6:00-10:00 PM                         Reiter Than You, hosted by Bill Reiter
10:00 PM – 2:00 AM               Ferrall on the Bench, hosted by Scott Ferrall
2:00-6:00 AM                          After Hours with Amy Lawrence

All times are Eastern. Schedules are subject to change.

Checkpoint Radio, The Esports Radio Show, Adds Affiliates

Westwood One and Checkpoint Radio, the first, nationally syndicated radio show dedicated to the world of esports and gaming, announces additional markets are joining the weekly broadcast.

WPEN 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia, WXOS 101 ESPN in St Louis, and KFNC ESPN 97.5 FM in Houston are three of the latest stations to join the rapidly-growing affiliate list. In just three months, Checkpoint Radio has grown in the United States and Canada in markets such as Toronto, Denver, Phoenix, Vancouver BC, Tampa, Montreal, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Rochester, and Orlando.

Hosted by Nate Bender, Robbie Landis, Norris Howard, and Joe Sloan, Checkpoint Radio is an esports talk show featuring insights, news, interviews, and updates designed specifically for the video game and esports fan. In addition to the weekly show, the Checkpoint crew also produces a podcast featuring exclusive content not heard on the radio program.  

“Checkpoint Radio is the only national show that connects radio stations and listeners to the explosive energy around esports. According to Newzoo, this year esports will grow to $696 million in revenue, a year-over-year increase of 41%. Brand investment is predicted to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020. This is a space you want to be in,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Corporate Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “Westwood One is the undeniable leader in Sports Programming, and we know esports is an important sector for affiliates and advertisers.”

Rick Scott, Managing Partner of Checkpoint Radio said, “We are excited at the rapid growth of Checkpoint Radio in so many quality and big markets. It’s a testament to the quality and appeal of the show and the passionate crew working to put it together.”

This one-of-a-kind, two-hour weekly show airs Thursday afternoon anytime through Sunday. In addition, Checkpoint Radio is also producing the Esports Minute which airs which airs daily, Monday-Friday between 6a-Midnight.

Stations interested in Checkpoint Radio and/or the e-Sports Minute can contact Rich Burg at rburg@westwoodone.com or (212) 824-2994. Learn more at checkpointradio.com.

Human Rights Groups Say FCC's Pai Has Conflict Of Interests

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai is getting called out by a human rights group in a controversy over pricey phone calls for prisoners, according to The NYPost.

Pai has a “clear conflict of interest” in approving a sale of prison phone company Securus Technologies to Platinum Equity Partners, the Human Rights Defense Center has said in a Wednesday letter to FCC Secretary Marlene Dortch.

More broadly, Pai has a conflict of interest in trying to roll back Obama-era regulations on prison phone companies, the Human Rights Defense Center says.

Securus has been accused of charging extraordinarily high phone rates to families of inmates.

Platinum Equity in May agreed to buy Securus for $1.5 billion and is waiting for FCC approval.

Pai before becoming an FCC Commissioner in 2012 and FCC Chair in 2017 represented Securus when a partner with the law firm Jenner & Block, the Human Rights Defense Center alleges.

In a July 7 statement sent to the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of his FCC reconfirmation process, Pai said he did a “limited amount of work” from April 2011 through May 2012 for law firm Jenner & Block.

Sales Of Glen Campbell Music Soar

Consumption of Glen Campbell's music skyrocketed following his passing on Tuesday, according to statistics from BuzzAngle.

In the day after the country music legend's death, his digital album sales spiked 13,665 percent. The majority of the sales came from his two greatest hits albums "20 Greatest Hits" and "Greatest Hits."

Campbell's digital single sales rose 6,652 percent, BuzzAngle said. Digital sales are generally paid downloads through services like iTunes.

Campbell's music streaming numbers jumped as well, rising 902 percent. Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon and Tidal are the most popular streaming services.

BuzzAngle broke out the five most popular songs for both sales and streaming as well. "Wichita Lineman" was the top seller while "Southern Nights" has been No. 1 on streaming.

Campbell died on Tuesday at the age of 81 following an extended battle with Alzheimer's disease.




Top 5 Glen Campbell songs sold on Tuesday

1. Wichita Lineman
2. Rhinestone Cowboy
3. Gentle On My Mind
4. By the Time I Get to Phoenix
5. Galveston

Top 5 Glen Campbell songs streamed on Tuesday

1. Southern Nights
2. Rhinestone Cowboy
3. Wichita Lineman
4. Gentle On My Mind
5. By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Westwood One News Revisits the "Summer of Love"

Westwood One News, winner of the 2017 Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News Reporting, will present a special retrospective, Summer of Love; Fall of Innocence 50th Anniversary, a look back at the counter culture revolution that defined the summer of 1967 from a 50-year perspective.

Jim Roope

The half-hour special, airing the weekend of August 18-20, is available to all Westwood One News affiliates, Westwood One music format stations, and Cumulus-owned stations. It will also air in place of The Week in Review during that same weekend.

Hosted by Westwood One News correspondents Jim Roope in L.A. and Steve Kastenbaum in New York, the program features some of the iconic pop and rock music that filled the airwaves that summer, along with extensive use of the Westwood One News archives -- including interviews with prominent pop culture figures of the time, like activist Abbie Hoffman, LSU guru Professor Timothy Leary, rock manager Bill Graham, singer Scott McKenzie; and others.

The archived audio showcased in the special was discovered on a 1987 Summer of Love 20th anniversary cassette tape unearthed during Westwood One News’ recent move to a new facility in Washington, DC. Longtime Westwood One producer George Achaves, who produced the 1987 special and is now based in Nashville, was able to track down the master reels. Westwood One News VP Kevin Delany was set to listen on a reel-to-reel machine he had salvaged but was quickly disappointed when it failed to play. He noticed it was recorded on Ampex 406 stock, which was a high quality tape in the 1980’s but also known for what’s called “sticky shed syndrome,” which clogs tape heads and guides and renders the tape unplayable without treatment.

Undeterred, Delany purchased a food dehydrator, which removes moisture. He “baked” the tape in the dehydrator for five hours at a constant temperature of 130 degrees, turning the tape every half hour. Says Delaney, “After letting it cool for another 18 hours, I rewound the tape, letting it pass through two cotton balls, one on each side of the tape, to remove any remaining loose oxide particles. Finally, I attached cotton balls to the tape guides to reduce tape friction as much as possible, leaving the tape to touch only the heads of the machine. After hooking two separate digital recorders to the outputs of the machine, we were ready for playback.  And it worked! The tape played successfully and history was saved.”

Steve Kastenbaum

Adds Achaves, “We captured the moment in time and it sounds as good to me today as it did then. This was done before digital editing, on reel-to-reel tape and news carts, edited with razor blades and splicing tape.”

Achaves also shared a memory about interviewing singer Scott McKenzie for the show. ”I read an interview with his mother in the Washington Post. She happened to live in an apartment building a block away from our office at the time. I looked her up in the phone book, called her out of the blue, and she put me in touch with her son, who was living in Lake Tahoe. Before she hung up, she said to me ‘If you speak with him, please tell him to call his mother once in a while.’ McKenzie gave me great stories about the Monterey Pop Festival and his hit song ‘San Francisco: Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair.’"

Westwood One News and Cumulus stations interested in the Summer of Love; Fall of Innocence 50th Anniversary special can contact Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 895-2339.

August 11 Radio History

➦In 1942...Actress Hedy Lamarr (Hedy Kiesler Markey) and composer George Anthiel receive U.S. patent for Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching a carrier among many frequency channels, using a pseudorandom sequence known to both transmitter and receiver. It is used as a multiple access method in the frequency-hopping code division multiple access (FH-CDMA) scheme.

Spread-spectrum signals are highly resistant to deliberate jamming, unless the adversary has knowledge of the spreading characteristics. Military radios use cryptographic techniques to generate the channel sequence under the control of a secret Transmission Security Key (TRANSEC) that the sender and receiver share in advance.

By itself, frequency hopping provides only limited protection against eavesdropping and jamming. Most modern military frequency hopping radios also employ separate encryption devices such as the KY-57. U.S. military radios that use frequency hopping include the JTIDS/MIDS family, HAVE QUICK and SINCGARS.

In the US, since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amended rules to allow frequency hopping spread spectrum systems in the unregulated 2.4 GHz band, many consumer devices in that band have employed various spread-spectrum modes.

Some walkie-talkies that employ frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology have been developed for unlicensed use on the 900 MHz band.

➦In 1966…The Beatles arrived at Chicago's O'Hare Airport to start their last tour of the U.S. They held a press conference at the Astor Towers Hotel where John Lennon apologized for his remarks that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus now."




John explained, "If I had said television is more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it, but I just happened to be talking to a friend and I used the words "Beatles" as a remote thing, not as what I think - as Beatles, as those other Beatles like other people see us ... I'm not saying that we're better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this ... I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. I apologize if that will make you happy. I still don't know quite what I've done. I've tried to tell you what I did do but if you want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then okay, I'm sorry.


➦In 1972...Long John Nebel does last show at WNBC.

Jim Harmon, author of “the Great Radio Heroes” appears on Long John Nebel’s show and discusses Old Time Radio. This broadcast is from 1967 and was heard on WNBC.



➦In 1984...President Ronald Reagan was preparing for his weekly radio broadcast when, during testing of the microphone, the President said of the Soviet Union, “…I have signed legislation that will outlaw Russia. We begin bombing in five minutes.“  He was just jesting as he was testing. Funny, actually, that this could happen to ‘Dutch’ Reagan — a former radio sportscaster for WHO in Des Moines, Iowa and other radio stations — not to mention TV and film. The remark, literally, bombed … though nothing more serious happened.


➦In 1995...bandleader/singer Phil Harris, a comedy contributor on radio, TV & The Jungle Book Movie, suffered heart failure and died at age 91. The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show is acknowledged to be one of the best-written & best-performed comedy favorites from the era of Old Time Radio.


➦In 2010…Former Pittsburgh Pirates announcer/former Pirates pitcher Nellie King died of Parkinson's disease at 82.

Taylor Swift Testifies: 'He Grabbed My Ass'

Taylor Swift testified Thursday that she felt a former Denver disc jockey "grab on to [her] a-- cheek" during a 2013 meet-and-greet.

Swift is being sued by former DJ David Mueller, who is seeking damages after he was fired from radio station KYGO following Swift's allegations that he groped her bare buttocks during the photo op.

The singer is countersuing, saying she was sexually assaulted and is seeking a symbolic $1 to prove a point that people "can always say no."

"It was a definite grab. A very long grab," Swift told the court of the alleged groping.

Swift was adamant that the contact was beneath her skirt, and not over it.

"He grabbed my ass underneath my skirt," she said, saying she was "completely sure" it was intentional. Swift added that right after the alleged groping, she became monotone, according to an NBC News affiliate 9News reporter.

Swift said she didn't stop the meet-and-greets after Mueller left because she didn't want to disappoint a few dozen people who'd been waiting in line. She testified she first mentioned the incident about 15 minutes later to her photographer, Stephanie Simbeck.

Reuters reports the 27-year-old Swift was testifying for the first time to a U.S. District Court jury that is weighing her accusation that David Mueller grabbed her bare buttocks during a pre-concert fan reception in 2013 against Mueller's assertion that he was falsely accused and consequently fired from his job.

Swift, one of the most popular performers in the U.S. music business, spoke forcefully as she described the incident with Mueller.

"It was a definite grab ... a very long grab," she said. "It was intentional. He stayed latched onto my bare ass cheek.

"I felt him grab onto my ass cheek under my skirt. He grabbed my ass underneath my skirt."

Swift said the groping occurred as she posed with Mueller and his girlfriend for a photo.

Mueller, 55, testified on Tuesday that he may have made innocent physical contact with Swift, perhaps brushing her arm or torso, but denied any inappropriate behavior. Asked whether he grabbed Swift's backside, Mueller replied, "No, I did not."

GropeGate: Swift's Mom Felt Like 'I Wanted To Vomit'

• Andrea Swift sobbed as she told the court how she felt sick when daughter Taylor told her she was 'groped' by Denver DJ David Mueller
• Mueller was cross examined in his civil trial versus Taylor Swift at the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse in Denver
• He said a photo of him that shows his hand behind Swift during a photo op was 'weird and awkward' but denies it was groping
• The trial was delayed for two hours  Wednesday as the legal teams met in a side room to talk in private about evidence 
• Swift showed up to court wearing a white dress, black jacket and a pair of nude pumps
• Mueller accused Swift of fabricating an incident where he allegedly groped her in 2013 which caused him to be fired and is suing for $3 million 
• Swift counter-sued the DJ for assault and battery in response, saying he put his hand up her dress 

Recording star Taylor Swift's mother testified on Wednesday that she became sick to her stomach when she learned her daughter had been groped during a pre-concert photo shoot four years ago but decided against calling police to avoid publicity.

"I did not want this event to define her life," Andrea Swift said in the second day of testimony in a federal court trial stemming from the Grammy-winning singer's allegation that a Denver DJ fondled her bare buttocks at the picture-taking session.

Reuters is reporting Swift's mother, who serves as part of her daughter's management team, told jurors that one specific worry was the prospect that the photo taken with the radio personality in question, David Mueller, might end up going viral and even being doctored in a lewd way.

"I was very upset ... I felt like I wanted to vomit," Andrea Smith, 59, testified when asked to recall her reaction to her daughter telling her that she had been groped at a reception for her fans before a June 2013 concert in Denver.

"'Mom, a guy just grabbed my ass at the meet-and-greet,'" she recounted her daughter telling her moments after the alleged incident.

Asked if she had sought out witnesses to the incident, the mother said she had no reason to doubt her daughter's account.

"He sexually assaulted my daughter, right there, that guy," Andrea Swift said as she pointed her finger at Mueller, who was seated less than 20 feet away. "I heard it from my daughter's mouth. I know that it happened."

According to the 27-year-old recording artist, Mueller slipped his hand under her dress and grabbed her as the two posed, along with Mueller's girlfriend, during the picture-taking session.

Mueller testified on Tuesday that he may have made incidental physical contact with Swift, perhaps brushing her arm or torso. But asked by his own lawyer whether he had grabbed Swift's backside, Mueller said flatly, "No, I did not."

Swift has been present for the proceedings every day since jury selection began on Monday, entering and exiting the courthouse through an undisclosed passageway that has allowed her to avoid media camped outside the building.

According to The Denver Post, Andrea Swift said she knew if the allegations became public, the incident would dominate every interview Swift gave. She also feared internet trolls would use the incident to embarrass her daughter by Photoshopping “funny things,” into pictures of the superstar.

Under questioning from Mueller’s lawyer, Gabe McFarland, she said that she felt Mueller should be fired. But she never suggested that anyone on her management team should demand his dismissal.

Frank Bell, who handles radio promotion for Swift, said several people, including the photographer who took the picture, told him that it was obvious that something unusual happened when Mueller had his picture taken with the singer.

Andrea Swift, Bell said, “wanted to make sure that Mr. Mueller was fired, that he was no longer working there.”

He called Bob Call, market manager for KYGO’s parent Lincoln Financial Media, before 8 a.m. the next morning and told him about the incident. He told Call that he wanted it investigated, and appropriate action taken.

But he never demanded that Mueller be fired, he said.

Depiction of Swift as Mueller Testifies

During Wednesday's testimony, David Mueller acknowledge was fired from two jobs prior to his termination by KYGO.  And although KYGO fired him when there were only five months left on his two-year contract, valued at about $320,000, his lawsuit suggests his compensation for the wages he lost should be $3 million.

According to The Denver Post, the 55-year-old Mueller was fired from KDWB in Minneapolis seven years before he joined the Denver radio station. The Minneapolis station fired him because they were dissatisfied that he continued to work at a business he formed called 9 Ball Radio, which provided content to radio stations.

Swift’s lawyer J. Douglas Baldridge, also questioned Mueller about being fired from a Kansas City radio station.

He was fired “without cause,” and KRBZ bought him out, Mueller said.

Mueller maintains that although he applied at top 20 market radio stations after he was fired, he was unable to find new job following Swift’s allegation and being fired from KYGO.

Baldridge asked Mueller why he hadn’t applied at stations that weren’t in the top 20, and Mueller said he did apply at a few.

Tampa Radio: IRS After Bubba Clem For Back Taxes

Bubba "the Love Sponge" Clem faces another lien for unpaid federal taxes. The lien, issued by the Internal Revenue Service in early July, says the St. Petersburg shock jock owes about $202,600 in taxes, according to tampabay.com.

In late March, the IRS had issued another lien for $31,142 in unpaid taxes.

Reached Wednesday night, Clem told All-Access, "I am in the fight of my life for my career and the financial repercussions have been extremely difficult. I intend to pay every debt I owe including any monies owed to the IRS. The only story better than a fall from grace is the one that shows we can overcome our mistakes, pick ourselves up off the floor, and rise from the ashes. I will continue to do the best terrestrial show in radio to my 7 affiliates. Tomorrow the sun shall rise and I will to continue to provide great content to my loyal fans with it."

Clem's finances have been in the spotlight several times this year. A February lawsuit by Bank of America alleged that Bubba Radio Network, which Clem owns, owed about $75,000 on a defaulted loan.

In June, Clem put his St. Petersburg home on the market for $1.8 million.

Report: Megyn Kelly On Tour

NBC News is sparing no expense on its new star, Megyn Kelly, and the lavish spending is ticking off some of her new colleagues, according to The NYPost.

Kelly is on a five-day nationwide tour to visit affiliates in major markets this week, and according to Page Six, she is traveling on a charter jet with a support staff of five or six people, including a hairstylist, a makeup artist, a publicist and a security detail.

“People are outraged over her divalike ways,” one network source told The Post. “They wonder, ‘When does NBC stop throwing money at her?’ ”

Kelly left Fox News in January to take over the 9 a.m. hour of “Today,” which launches on Sept. 25 as “Megyn Kelly Today.” Her salary is said to be $18 million a year.

NBC hired new staff, built a new set and will be spending extra on a live audience for the show.

“It’s a standard affiliates tour, which many new NBC News anchors have done before her. There’s huge excitement for ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ in these markets, and it’s a great thing that the show is covering people and places outside of New York City.”

Kelly’s newsmagazine show “Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly” debuted in June to much fanfare, but had mediocre ratings and ended after eight episodes. It is expected to return after the NFL season and the Winter Olympics.

Thursday's Hot Links..What Others Are Saying

➤Undividing America: Marketers Search For Middle America

➤Weigel Broadcasting Buys Utah Stations

Day 3 PPMs Released For Portland, Las Vegas, Orlando, 9 More Markets

Nielsen on Wednesday 8/9/17 Released Day  3 of July 2017 PPM Data for the following markets:

   23  Portland OR
t
   24  Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC

   26  San Antonio

   27  Pittsburgh

   28  Sacramento
   
   29  Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo

   30  Las Vegas

   31  Cincinnati

   32  Orlando

   33  Cleveland

   35  Kansas City

   37  Columbus OH

Click Here To View Topline Numbers For Subscribing Nielsen Stations