US radio station denies firing host Silverman mid-show for criticising Trump

US radio station 710 KNUS has disputed the claims that they had fired radio show host Craig Silverman for criticizing US President Donald Trump during his show. According to reports, the station claimed that they did not fire Silverman instead he was just taken off the air because of his decision to appear on a competing radio station.

'Silverman was taken off air and was not fired'

The general manager and Vice President of Salem Media Group Brian Taylor stated that Silverman was taken off air for going on air with a rival station, a statement that Craig sees as a violation of KNUS saving itself to avoid a situation of violating a contract that asks for a 1 month notice before the termination of the contract. 

Taylor said that the management never told the radio show host to criticize Trump and the ongoing impeachment proceedings in relation to the 2016 Presidential elections. He further added that the hosts working for them had all the freedom to express their views on their own account.

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Unsure about future course of action: Silverman

In response to Taylor's clarification, Silverman said that he was unsure about his future course of action. He added that one of the factors that might influence his decision to return to KNUS will be based on whether the management decides to restore all his show's video archives along with the November 6 show that had him talking about the American President. The management had taken down the video archive from its website.

Craig Silverman, speaking to a local news outlet said he was of the opinion that facts relating to the impeachment hearings were damning and wanted more than his usual 3 hour slot on the weekend to express his views. The management disagreed to the proposal, thus he decided to make an outside appearance.

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The root cause of the Silverman incident

The problem for Silverman stemmed from during his show when he stated that a few of the supporters of Trump did not want to have a normal discussion about the impeachment inquiry or even acknowledge the arguments about the investigation's credibility.
While responding to a call from a listener who said that the impeachment inquiry was not justified, Silverman put forward the allegations against Donald Trump that he attempted to hold back the military funding to pressurize Kyiv in conducting an investigation against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

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'An abrupt end'

According to reports, the host stated that the director of his Saturday program abruptly came into the studio and told him that he was fired as he berated Trump's former lawyer Roy Cohn. The Denver based radio station is broadcasted by the Salem Media Group, which showcases conservative, Christian viewpoints and is known for ending professional relations with Trump's critics.

Craig started his show on KNUS in the year 2014 after having spent 10 years with Clear channel where he was a co-host in a political talk show. A former chief deputy district attorney in Denver, Silverman called himself a person with conservative and liberal views.

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(With inputs from agencies)