The two large screws are what hold the bezel in place. The tiny screws hold the dial components together. Sometimes some of the tiny screws hang up on the metal structure inside. I think it is the side ones that I am thinking about. I have distorted the bezel slightly to free it or even removed them to free the bezel.
With regards to the static, if the station signals are weak, the radio gain automatically cranks up and you then hear the background noise as static. With strong signals there is a marked difference. Of course there are other things that can create static.
