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990...A disaster waiting to happen.

U

uwf234

Guest
Well, things just keep getting better and better at KFCD. From what's coming out of the 990 offices, 990 is running without a chief operator and no engineer. No surprise, really. There aren't a lot of people that are willing to work for nothing. And has anyone noticed that the 990 night signal pattern has been thrown off completely in the past month? I used to be able to pick the station up in Richardson, but not within the past month or so (not that Fox Sports Radio is so riveting that I can't live without it.) What else is up at 990? A sales staff that is non existent...only 2 or 3 board ops, and an owner that is semi-psychotic (who's putting the station up for auction on July 29th, just so he can buy it back and try this again.) Not only that, but he forced employees to sign a consent form that made it to where employees were the last to get paid if the station came out of bankruptcy. If they didn't they would be fired...and the ones that didn’t sign were fired by e-mail. We just need to run Dave Schum out of town…he’s an insult to the radio industry. If he really wanted to run a real radio station, he would have let the radio people run the radio station. Instead, he screwed over the lives of dozens of people just so he could play radio. Without naming names, there are people at that station that have never been paid, yet quit their jobs to go over to 990, with the assumption that they were going to be paid. Some people gave up jobs that they had been working for seven years or so, just to get screwed. It’s a shame, a lot of good people got caught up in his scam…and unfortunately, he’s gonna try it again.
 
> Well, things just keep getting better and better at KFCD.
> From what's coming out of the 990 offices, 990 is running
> without a chief operator and no engineer. No surprise,
> really. There aren't a lot of people that are willing to
> work for nothing. And has anyone noticed that the 990 night
> signal pattern has been thrown off completely in the past
> month? I used to be able to pick the station up in
> Richardson, but not within the past month or so (not that
> Fox Sports Radio is so riveting that I can't live without
> it.) What else is up at 990? A sales staff that is non
> existent...only 2 or 3 board ops, and an owner that is
> semi-psychotic (who's putting the station up for auction on
> July 29th, just so he can buy it back and try this again.)
> Not only that, but he forced employees to sign a consent
> form that made it to where employees were the last to get
> paid if the station came out of bankruptcy. If they didn't
> they would be fired...and the ones that didn’t sign were
> fired by e-mail. We just need to run Dave Schum out of
> town…he’s an insult to the radio industry. If he really
> wanted to run a real radio station, he would have let the
> radio people run the radio station. Instead, he screwed
> over the lives of dozens of people just so he could play
> radio. Without naming names, there are people at that
> station that have never been paid, yet quit their jobs to go
> over to 990, with the assumption that they were going to be
> paid. Some people gave up jobs that they had been working
> for seven years or so, just to get screwed. It’s a shame, a
> lot of good people got caught up in his scam…and
> unfortunately, he’s gonna try it again.

I used to work at 990 and I myself was a tad naieve and let myself go unpaid for 8 weeks, but that is because I thought there could have been a good thing there and comceptually it is a good idea there was just a lack of marketing. But it was my decision to stay and it is just that for everyone else there, their decision. I wouldn't sign the referred to agreeemnt because I just won't sign anything like that (I learned my lesson as a promotions coordinator for KZPS at Clear Channel) I worked hand in hand with Dave Schum and I don't feel he is trying to screw anybody but it is an unfortunate situation and some things were not dealt with in a timely manner. I think it is every empoyees decision to stay or go and if you are not getting paid then you should leave, if you don't leave and still don't get paid then it's your own fault for staying.
>
 
> Well, things just keep getting better and better at KFCD.
> From what's coming out of the 990 offices, 990 is running
> without a chief operator and no engineer. No surprise,
> really. There aren't a lot of people that are willing to
> work for nothing. And has anyone noticed that the 990 night
> signal pattern has been thrown off completely in the past
> month? I used to be able to pick the station up in
> Richardson, but not within the past month or so (not that
> Fox Sports Radio is so riveting that I can't live without
> it.) What else is up at 990? A sales staff that is non
> existent...only 2 or 3 board ops, and an owner that is
> semi-psychotic (who's putting the station up for auction on
> July 29th, just so he can buy it back and try this again.)
> Not only that, but he forced employees to sign a consent
> form that made it to where employees were the last to get
> paid if the station came out of bankruptcy. If they didn't
> they would be fired...and the ones that didn’t sign were
> fired by e-mail. We just need to run Dave Schum out of
> town…he’s an insult to the radio industry. If he really
> wanted to run a real radio station, he would have let the
> radio people run the radio station. Instead, he screwed
> over the lives of dozens of people just so he could play
> radio. Without naming names, there are people at that
> station that have never been paid, yet quit their jobs to go
> over to 990, with the assumption that they were going to be
> paid. Some people gave up jobs that they had been working
> for seven years or so, just to get screwed. It’s a shame, a
> lot of good people got caught up in his scam…and
> unfortunately, he’s gonna try it again.
>
Some people are failures. Others are miserable failures. Still others wind up with their mitts on a radio station....and become the ultimate failure. It is so sad to see well meaning, capable employees get caught up in such a cess pool. There seems to be no depth to which some radio owners will not go to stroke their flagging ego and feel like they have control over the lives of others.

Agreed. The guy should be taken to the city limits, dispatched, and told to stay away--in perpetuity.
 
> > Well, things just keep getting better and better at KFCD.
> > From what's coming out of the 990 offices, 990 is running
> > without a chief operator and no engineer. No surprise,
> > really. There aren't a lot of people that are willing to
> > work for nothing. And has anyone noticed that the 990
> night
> > signal pattern has been thrown off completely in the past
> > month? I used to be able to pick the station up in
> > Richardson, but not within the past month or so (not that
> > Fox Sports Radio is so riveting that I can't live without
> > it.) What else is up at 990? A sales staff that is non
> > existent...only 2 or 3 board ops, and an owner that is
> > semi-psychotic (who's putting the station up for auction
> on
> > July 29th, just so he can buy it back and try this again.)
>
> > Not only that, but he forced employees to sign a consent
> > form that made it to where employees were the last to get
> > paid if the station came out of bankruptcy. If they
> didn't
> > they would be fired...and the ones that didn’t sign were
> > fired by e-mail. We just need to run Dave Schum out of
> > town…he’s an insult to the radio industry. If he really
> > wanted to run a real radio station, he would have let the
> > radio people run the radio station. Instead, he screwed
> > over the lives of dozens of people just so he could play
> > radio. Without naming names, there are people at that
> > station that have never been paid, yet quit their jobs to
> go
> > over to 990, with the assumption that they were going to
> be
> > paid. Some people gave up jobs that they had been working
>
> > for seven years or so, just to get screwed. It’s a shame,
> a
> > lot of good people got caught up in his scam…and
> > unfortunately, he’s gonna try it again.
>
> I used to work at 990 and I myself was a tad naieve and let
> myself go unpaid for 8 weeks, but that is because I thought
> there could have been a good thing there and comceptually it
> is a good idea there was just a lack of marketing. But it
> was my decision to stay and it is just that for everyone
> else there, their decision. I wouldn't sign the referred to
> agreeemnt because I just won't sign anything like that (I
> learned my lesson as a promotions coordinator for KZPS at
> Clear Channel) I worked hand in hand with Dave Schum and I
> don't feel he is trying to screw anybody but it is an
> unfortunate situation and some things were not dealt with in
> a timely manner. I think it is every empoyees decision to
> stay or go and if you are not getting paid then you should
> leave, if you don't leave and still don't get paid then it's
> your own fault for staying.
> >
>
Admittedly, you were there and I wasn't (thankfully). But it seems you are selling Schum way short on his ill intent and malevolent ways. You are indeed correct, though--when one is standing in a hole and the water is rising it's time to climb out. Glad you did.
 
> > > Well, things just keep getting better and better at
> KFCD.
What else is up at 990? A sales staff that is non
> existent...only 2 or 3 board ops, and an owner that is
> > > semi-psychotic (who's putting the station up for auction
> > > July 29th, just so he can buy it back and try this
> again.)


990 and the CP for AM 700 are not being auctioned - they are up for sale through a broker by court order, and will probably go for close to their appraised price of 12 mil. I don't think Dave Schum has the money, investors, or interest in trying again.

Eye Lipson - ex-consultant to Cafe 990


Here's the release on the sale:

By Court order, radio stations KFCD-AM and KHSE-AM are being offered for sale either individually or together, to satisfy creditors claims. KFCD-AM operates on 990 khz with 7,000 watts daytime and 920 watts nighttime power. Currently programming a talk/sports locally-based format. KHSE-AM holds a CP on 700 khz for 1,500 watts daytime and 920 watts nighttime power. Construction of the directional array from KHSE-AM begins shortly and will be delivered as an on-air facility.
These stations are owned by The Watch, Ltd., and its wholly-owned subsidiary, DFW Radio License, Inc., which is currently operating the stations as debtor-in-possession. Patrick Communications, LLC has been retained as the exclusive broker to represent the company and its creditors in this sale.
For details and an offering prospectus on this opportunity, please contact Michele Cooney at [email protected]. Please identify the interested party, your financial ability to consummate a transaction and provide contact information.
 
> > I used to work at 990 and I myself was a tad naieve and
> let
> > myself go unpaid for 8 weeks, but that is because I
> thought
> > there could have been a good thing there and comceptually
> it
> > is a good idea there was just a lack of marketing. But it
>
> > was my decision to stay and it is just that for everyone
> > else there, their decision. I wouldn't sign the referred
> to
> > agreeemnt because I just won't sign anything like that (I
> > learned my lesson as a promotions coordinator for KZPS at
> > Clear Channel) I worked hand in hand with Dave Schum and
> I
> > don't feel he is trying to screw anybody but it is an
> > unfortunate situation and some things were not dealt with
> in
> > a timely manner. I think it is every empoyees decision to
>
> > stay or go and if you are not getting paid then you
> should
> > leave, if you don't leave and still don't get paid then
> it's
> > your own fault for staying.
> > >
> >
> Admittedly, you were there and I wasn't (thankfully). But
> it seems you are selling Schum way short on his ill intent
> and malevolent ways. You are indeed correct, though--when
> one is standing in a hole and the water is rising it's time
> to climb out. Glad you did.
>
Maybe I am selling him short but besides the lack of payment he treated me better than Clear Channel and Infinity put together, I have been in radio for about 5 or 6 years and it was a family atmosphere which was nice to have. I worked at KZPS for 2 years before being canned by a putz named Travis Hill (he couldn't even fire me himself he had to have Max Dugan do it) and I quit Live 105.3 Sales after 7 months too many clicks and no body gave a rats ass about you there. 990 was different in that regard but Ichoose not too bad mouth them because they treated me fair and with respect and with me that goes a long way. Maybe there was mismanagement and bad planning and execution but that is all water under the bridge now as I am now writing TV and Radio commercials for an ad agency here in BIG D.
 
990 and the CP for AM 700 are not being auctioned - they
> are up for sale through a broker by court order, and will
> probably go for close to their appraised price of 12 mil. I
> don't think Dave Schum has the money, investors, or interest
> in trying again.
>
> Eye Lipson - ex-consultant to Cafe 990
>
>
> Here's the release on the sale:
>
> By Court order, radio stations KFCD-AM and KHSE-AM are being
> offered for sale either individually or together, to satisfy
> creditors claims. KFCD-AM operates on 990 khz with 7,000
> watts daytime and 920 watts nighttime power. Currently
> programming a talk/sports locally-based format. KHSE-AM
> holds a CP on 700 khz for 1,500 watts daytime and 920 watts
> nighttime power. Construction of the directional array from
> KHSE-AM begins shortly and will be delivered as an on-air
> facility.
> These stations are owned by The Watch, Ltd., and its
> wholly-owned subsidiary, DFW Radio License, Inc., which is
> currently operating the stations as debtor-in-possession.
> Patrick Communications, LLC has been retained as the
> exclusive broker to represent the company and its creditors
> in this sale.
> For details and an offering prospectus on this opportunity,
> please contact Michele Cooney at [email protected]. Please
> identify the interested party, your financial ability to
> consummate a transaction and provide contact information.
>
I like this part:
KHSE-AM holds a CP on 700 khz for 1,500 watts daytime and 920 watts
nighttime power. Construction of the directional array from
KHSE-AM begins shortly and will be delivered as an on-air
facility.
**Who's going to build it using what money?
Dave's been promising that tower array for a year and a half.
Buyer beware. No tower, no board, no equipment, no engineer, no money.
 
Okay...a few comments about all this. Brian, stop trying to save face when it comes to Dave Schum. Yes, it was ultimately whoever's decision to stay when the paychecks were not coming in, but, what kind of person hires 2 people...one on-air, and one assistant engineer, knowing full well, he won't be making payroll? That caused one on-air talent to loose a job he had been working at for 7 years and not able to go back. Talk about blind-sided. Not to mention, the people upstairs weren't getting supplement income by any of our bosses. That’s treating someone like a golden God.

Schum has lied to EVERYBODY about what was going on at 990. Did you know that from June 2-18 (right around there) nobody working at KFCD was covered by the insurance...and that if the healthcare provider that does the insurance finds out that 990 is below the required number of employees to be able to obtain insurance the employees will loose the coverage? That is why anyone who was either fired or quit got a letter saying to send any COBRA money to the station accountant, and not the healthcare provider. Schum just wanted to pocket the money. Didn't you find it interesting on the healthcare provider was on the long list of people he owes money to? But none of this makes Dave Schum a bad person...no. It just makes him a crook. He is telling people to this day that they will get paid...even tried to coax another engineer to come on to the scene and he told him no because Dave Schum cannot be trusted and is delusional at best. Dave Schum screwed the Cafe people and now the TTR people. I won't make the same mistake again.

Dave Schum has EVERY intention on getting 990 and 700 up and running under his name...hopefully he won't be able to allocate the funds...so this doesn't happen to another group of misguided people.
 
> Okay...a few comments about all this. Brian, stop trying to
> save face when it comes to Dave Schum. Yes, it was
> ultimately whoever's decision to stay when the paychecks
> were not coming in, but, what kind of person hires 2
> people...one on-air, and one assistant engineer, knowing
> full well, he won't be making payroll? That caused one
> on-air talent to loose a job he had been working at for 7
> years and not able to go back. Talk about blind-sided. Not
> to mention, the people upstairs weren't getting supplement
> income by any of our bosses. That’s treating someone like a
> golden God.
>
> Schum has lied to EVERYBODY about what was going on at 990.
> Did you know that from June 2-18 (right around there) nobody
> working at KFCD was covered by the insurance...and that if
> the healthcare provider that does the insurance finds out
> that 990 is below the required number of employees to be
> able to obtain insurance the employees will loose the
> coverage? That is why anyone who was either fired or quit
> got a letter saying to send any COBRA money to the station
> accountant, and not the healthcare provider. Schum just
> wanted to pocket the money. Didn't you find it interesting
> on the healthcare provider was on the long list of people he
> owes money to? But none of this makes Dave Schum a bad
> person...no. It just makes him a crook. He is telling
> people to this day that they will get paid...even tried to
> coax another engineer to come on to the scene and he told
> him no because Dave Schum cannot be trusted and is
> delusional at best. Dave Schum screwed the Cafe people and
> now the TTR people. I won't make the same mistake again.
>
> Dave Schum has EVERY intention on getting 990 and 700 up and
> running under his name...hopefully he won't be able to
> allocate the funds...so this doesn't happen to another group
> of misguided people.
>

I'm not sure if this is Mike E. or who but as of now I don't really care anymore. I spent enough time worrying about this and other people...I am chalking it up as a loss and that does suck but it is the reality of things. Maybe he is a crook maybe not...I'm not trying to save face with anybody...I just choose not to continue to hide behind a user name and slam people that is what everybody seems to do...whether it's on this board, Dallas Digest, or any other board...people are real tough when typing and using a fake name...I am out of the radio business now and happy where I am...I see it as everything happens for a reason. I thouroughly enjoyed my time there (until the last 8 weeks) and enjoyed working with everyone from Doc, to Mike Elmore, Jackie, THe Fish, Larry, Jeff W., Mike A., Pete Stein and so on. I hope I haven't pissed anybody off that is not my intention. Best of luck to all, everyone there is a true professional.
 
Re: 990/700...An antenna waiting to happen.

> I like this part:
> KHSE-AM holds a CP on 700 khz for 1,500 watts daytime and
> 920 watts
> nighttime power. Construction of the directional array from
> KHSE-AM begins shortly and will be delivered as an on-air
> facility.
> **Who's going to build it using what money?
> Dave's been promising that tower array for a year and a
> half.
> Buyer beware. No tower, no board, no equipment, no
> engineer, no money.
>

As I understand it, the firm that loaned Schum the money after the Cafe bankruptcy is advancing additional funds to do the new 700 AM antenna. They know that if the antenna isn't built soon, the company will lose the frequency allotment and that would lessen the value of the properties, which the firm now has a lien on. The capital company is currently owed about 8 million and they need that 700 signal to be viable so they can get their money back at time of the forced sale.

One question I have: why are people continuing to work at 990 if they are not getting paid?
 
Re: 990/700...An antenna waiting to happen.

> One question I have: why are people continuing to work at
> 990 if they are not getting paid?

It's amazing how long people will hang around that sort of environment...especially if they don't think that they can easily find other jobs.

I worked for a couple years in a company (outside the broadcast business) that had problems meeting payroll, paying suppliers, and keeping the insurance premiums current. I left, but most of my coworkers stayed to the bitter end -- at which point the company was something like six weeks behind on payroll when they found someone to take control of the turkey.

From stories I've heard from friends who have worked in similar environments, this doesn't seem to be that unusual. I suspect that people stay because they don't really know what to do...and perhaps because they're not really able to admit (even to themselves) how hopeless the situation is.
 
Re: 990/700...An antenna waiting to happen.

> > I like this part:
> > KHSE-AM holds a CP on 700 khz for 1,500 watts daytime and
> > 920 watts
> > nighttime power. Construction of the directional array
> from
> > KHSE-AM begins shortly and will be delivered as an on-air
> > facility.
> > **Who's going to build it using what money?
> > Dave's been promising that tower array for a year and a
> > half.
> > Buyer beware. No tower, no board, no equipment, no
> > engineer, no money.
> >
>
> As I understand it, the firm that loaned Schum the money
> after the Cafe bankruptcy is advancing additional funds to
> do the new 700 AM antenna. They know that if the antenna
> isn't built soon, the company will lose the frequency
> allotment and that would lessen the value of the properties,
> which the firm now has a lien on. The capital company is
> currently owed about 8 million and they need that 700 signal
> to be viable so they can get their money back at time of the
> forced sale.

From a post by Radio-Vet in another thread

FACT: Again, according to documents sent to creditors, Dave Scum’s intent, as regards KHSE 700AM is NOT to build an “on-air facility” as the press release indicated. In fact, his intent is, (quoting from the legal documents) only the “necessary ground grid, tower array, and transmission equipment sufficient to meet FCC licensing requirements”. Dave Scum has said he would get the tower site up and then just run a looped CD or satellite feed from the site. A far cry from a complete on-air facility.

>
> One question I have: why are people continuing to work at
> 990 if they are not getting paid?
>
Part desperation, part wanting to believe Dave's lies, part hoping that somehow by some miracle it would all work out and the "little station that could, would". Some of us lasted as long as we could. But when the rent is due, it's due. My apartment manager doesn't take promises as payment, and I didn't want to borrow any more cash from my folks.
I just hope that when the whole mess goes up for auction, it goes to a person or company that has the funding and the smarts to run it right. In other words, not Dave.
 
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