Michael Baisden Wants A New Trial in Contract Breach with Cumulus Media

Syndicated Urban AC radio host Michael Baisden has asked a federal judge in Texas for a new trial after a jury entered $800,000 in damages against him for his alleged refusal to return a $1 million overpayment to Cumulus.

Baisden said there was no evidence to support the jury’s decision that he breached their contract. According to the website Law 360 Baisden asked the court for either a judgment or a new trial in the motion, asking the court to “consider the evidence actually submitted to the jury”

Baisden who is now a syndicated host through Superadio was sued by Cumulus in 2014 over an amendment to his contract that called for the company to pay Baisden either $7.5 million or half of net program income from January 2012 to March 2013. The company said it paid $1 million as an advance and then skipped 15 planned monthly installments by simply paying another $7.25 million, mistakenly not subtracting the advance.

Baisden's newest re-branded show, which launched in January, has 32 affiliates and is heard on a handful of major cities which include Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. The rest of the affiliates are medium and small market stations.