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990AM Lies - Long but factual

There’s all sorts of barbs and counter barbs being thrown around about the demise of 990AM and the person responsible for it all. Let me interject a few absolute facts on the subject. Yes, it’s long. But rest assured, it is factual.

FACT: According to the documents sent to the station's creditors, both 990 and 700 are to be auctioned off. The recent press release is correct (sort of). They are for sale, but to buy them you have to do it by way of the auction. Auction bids are due by September 15, 2005. For clarification one only has to look at Section ‘C’ of the document, entitled “Auction and Sale Procedures”.

FACT: Despite all of Dave Schum’s constant assurances that employee’s health insurance premiums were all being paid, they were NOT being paid. Don’t believe me? Call the insurance company. The premiums were not being paid. And to make matters worse, there was a period of time when everyone’s insurance had been cancelled.

FACT: Dave Scum has told employees as well as clients a number of times that he has every intention of getting the funding to change the company name and sell the stations back to himself and continue operating (God help us all).

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.

FACT: Some employees (not all, but some) have been denied unemployment benefits due to the company not reporting some people’s wages to the State. Yes it will ultimately be straightened out. But the burden is placed on the employee to gather documents proving they were paid and deliver them to the Texas Workforce Commission for review. Why did Dave Scum not report some people’s wages? According the TWC, that’s a common scam - for an employer to keep from paying the proper amount of payroll taxes.

FACT: A few weeks ago several people were offered a few dollars to entice them to hang on and not quit. Where did the money come from? Dave went to the churches that broadcast their services on his station asking for donations. One could question the legality of his soliciting money to pay employees from churches, thereby bypassing the court.

FACT: The station is running illegally, and has been for close to a year. Dave Scum has repeatedly refused to install FCC required equipment at the transmitter site. And ever since the 990 transmitter site was vandalized a while back they have been completely out of spec as to their pattern and power. And since he doesn’t have the FCC required equipment, he has no way of correcting the problem.

And these are just some of the high points. There’s plenty more. This isn’t a matter of things slipping through the cracks or simply being mishandled. One poster on a previous thread asks why do people stay and continue to take the abuse? Because of the long line of outright lies and never-ending empty promises. The owner is the worst kind of radio snake. A snake that feeds off those who depend on him for their livelihood.
 
I would contact, not necessarily in this order: The U.S. Attorney, the state attorney general, the Texas Employment Commission, the Dallas County district attorney, the FCC as well as Robert Philpot of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. If he is not interested, tell your story to an investigative reporter there.

Talk to reporters at the Dallas Morning News. Steve Blow might be interested in a column that focuses on the human aspect -- how the employees were mistreated -- twice by the owner.



> There’s all sorts of barbs and counter barbs being thrown
> around about the demise of 990AM and the person responsible
> for it all. Let me interject a few absolute facts on the
> subject. Yes, it’s long. But rest assured, it is factual.
>
> FACT: According to the documents sent to the station's
> creditors, both 990 and 700 are to be auctioned off. The
> recent press release is correct (sort of). They are for
> sale, but to buy them you have to do it by way of the
> auction. Auction bids are due by September 15, 2005. For
> clarification one only has to look at Section ‘C’ of the
> document, entitled “Auction and Sale Procedures”.
>
> FACT: Despite all of Dave Schum’s constant assurances that
> employee’s health insurance premiums were all being paid,
> they were NOT being paid. Don’t believe me? Call the
> insurance company. The premiums were not being paid. And
> to make matters worse, there was a period of time when
> everyone’s insurance had been cancelled.
>
> FACT: Dave Scum has told employees as well as clients a
> number of times that he has every intention of getting the
> funding to change the company name and sell the stations
> back to himself and continue operating (God help us all).
>
> 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.
>
> FACT: Some employees (not all, but some) have been denied
> unemployment benefits due to the company not reporting some
> people’s wages to the State. Yes it will ultimately be
> straightened out. But the burden is placed on the employee
> to gather documents proving they were paid and deliver them
> to the Texas Workforce Commission for review. Why did Dave
> Scum not report some people’s wages? According the TWC,
> that’s a common scam - for an employer to keep from paying
> the proper amount of payroll taxes.
>
> FACT: A few weeks ago several people were offered a few
> dollars to entice them to hang on and not quit. Where did
> the money come from? Dave went to the churches that
> broadcast their services on his station asking for
> donations. One could question the legality of his
> soliciting money to pay employees from churches, thereby
> bypassing the court.
>
> FACT: The station is running illegally, and has been for
> close to a year. Dave Scum has repeatedly refused to
> install FCC required equipment at the transmitter site. And
> ever since the 990 transmitter site was vandalized a while
> back they have been completely out of spec as to their
> pattern and power. And since he doesn’t have the FCC
> required equipment, he has no way of correcting the problem.
>
>
> And these are just some of the high points. There’s plenty
> more. This isn’t a matter of things slipping through the
> cracks or simply being mishandled. One poster on a previous
> thread asks why do people stay and continue to take the
> abuse? Because of the long line of outright lies and
> never-ending empty promises. The owner is the worst kind of
> radio snake. A snake that feeds off those who depend on him
> for their livelihood.
>
 
More lies are coming out of 990. From a conversation with a weekend show, they are being told that all is fine and dandy. And FC Dallas...what a hole they're in. The only client that Schum hasn't run off is being forced to find people outside of 990 for competence so that they can run their weekly show...not to mention their games. A huge knife in the heart of KFCD was when they allowed McCarthy to slip through their hands...and with McCarthy left Prestige Ford. A mound of lies came out of 990 in regards to what Prestige owed the station...all coming from Dave Schum's office.

Now what’s this about Schum getting money from a church? That is an ALL TIME LOW…yet totally typical. How can you accept money from a church that does charity work for the homeless on a weekly basis?

There was something else I noticed on the Bankruptcy filing…Dave Schum owes everyone that works at that station…except Dave Schum. He is the only person that the company owes nothing to. There are some major holes in all of this.

As far as when I worked there…I loved working in the small-company atmosphere and I’m still friends with people who have worked there. Unfortunately, Dave Schum has permanently put a bad taste in my mouth towards that station (If you haven’t noticed).
 
> More lies are coming out of 990. From a conversation with a
> weekend show, they are being told that all is fine and
> dandy. And FC Dallas...what a hole they're in. The only
> client that Schum hasn't run off is being forced to find
> people outside of 990 for competence so that they can run
> their weekly show...not to mention their games. A huge
> knife in the heart of KFCD was when they allowed McCarthy to
> slip through their hands...and with McCarthy left Prestige
> Ford. A mound of lies came out of 990 in regards to what
> Prestige owed the station...all coming from Dave Schum's
> office.
>
> Now what’s this about Schum getting money from a church?
> That is an ALL TIME LOW…yet totally typical. How can you
> accept money from a church that does charity work for the
> homeless on a weekly basis?
>
> There was something else I noticed on the Bankruptcy
> filing…Dave Schum owes everyone that works at that
> station…except Dave Schum. He is the only person that the
> company owes nothing to. There are some major holes in all
> of this.
>
> As far as when I worked there…I loved working in the
> small-company atmosphere and I’m still friends with people
> who have worked there. Unfortunately, Dave Schum has
> permanently put a bad taste in my mouth towards that station
> (If you haven’t noticed).
>
Pathetic. Schum (aka scum, according to one post here) fully deserves all the trouble that is sure to hit him one day--certainly not soon enough, given what he's perpetrated on the people who worked for him. Even worse, Schum persists in trying to paint a smiley face on his disposition and dealings. Yeah, things are fine and dandy with him. Ignorance is bliss.
 
> >
> Pathetic. Schum (aka scum, according to one post here)
> fully deserves all the trouble that is sure to hit him one
> day--certainly not soon enough, given what he's perpetrated
> on the people who worked for him. Even worse, Schum
> persists in trying to paint a smiley face on his disposition
> and dealings. Yeah, things are fine and dandy with him.
> Ignorance is bliss.
>
The problem is, he's not ignorant. He is one of the absolute worst owners I have ever seen in my several decades in radio. He knows exactly what he is doing. He plans every move. He knows exactly the full effect of every action.

Everyone should remember, this is his third failed attempt at radio. Each attempt has resulted in people getting majorly screwed.

He likes to brag that even though he's failed in the past, everyone was eventually paid all the money they were owed. That's the biggest crock of crap. There are still people out there that are owed LOTS of money.

Dave Schum needs to be blackballed from radio, never allowed to ever again be in the business.
 
> I would contact, not necessarily in this order: The U.S.
> Attorney, the state attorney general, the Texas Employment
> Commission, the Dallas County district attorney, the FCC as
> well as Robert Philpot of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. If
> he is not interested, tell your story to an investigative
> reporter there.
>
> Talk to reporters at the Dallas Morning News. Steve Blow
> might be interested in a column that focuses on the human
> aspect -- how the employees were mistreated -- twice by the
> owner.
>
>
Call Becky Oliver at Fox!
 
> > I would contact, not necessarily in this order: The U.S.
> > Attorney, the state attorney general, the Texas Employment
>
> > Commission, the Dallas County district attorney, the FCC
> as
> > well as Robert Philpot of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
> If
> > he is not interested, tell your story to an investigative
> > reporter there.
> >
> > Talk to reporters at the Dallas Morning News. Steve Blow
> > might be interested in a column that focuses on the human
> > aspect -- how the employees were mistreated -- twice by
> the
> > owner.
> >
> >
> Call Becky Oliver at Fox!


The blonde Geraldo.

She's not a reporter. She's an entertainer.
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

Any lawyers out there? We need a lawyer to comment on this -

Recently Dave Scum presented all employees with a paper which had to be signed "as a condition of continued employment". All employees were required to waive their rights to file any lien against him for back wages. If you didn't sign it you were fired, as a number of people were.

From a legal standpoint, isn't anything signed under the threat of losing your job being signed under duress? Is an agreement signed under duress actually legal? Is it enforceable?

Problem is, most people effected by this are so broke from lack of wages they don’t have money to hire an attorney. Any attorneys out there that would love to do the Dallas Radio community a huge favor and help a group of former employees regain what’s owed them (for a nice cut, of course).


> > >
> > Pathetic. Schum (aka scum, according to one post here)
> > fully deserves all the trouble that is sure to hit him one
>
> > day--certainly not soon enough, given what he's
> perpetrated
> > on the people who worked for him. Even worse, Schum
> > persists in trying to paint a smiley face on his
> disposition
> > and dealings. Yeah, things are fine and dandy with him.
> > Ignorance is bliss.
> >
> The problem is, he's not ignorant. He is one of the
> absolute worst owners I have ever seen in my several decades
> in radio. He knows exactly what he is doing. He plans every
> move. He knows exactly the full effect of every action.
>
> Everyone should remember, this is his third failed attempt
> at radio. Each attempt has resulted in people getting
> majorly screwed.
>
He likes to brag that even though he's failed in the past,
> everyone was eventually paid all the money they were owed.
> That's the biggest crock of crap. There are still people
> out there that are owed LOTS of money.
>
> Dave Schum needs to be blackballed from radio, never allowed
> to ever again be in the business.
>
 
> The blonde Geraldo.
>
> She's not a reporter. She's an entertainer.
>
AGREED!! She likes to be a part of a story not just report it, and like any Fox reporter she loves the dramatic phrasing.
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

> Any lawyers out there? We need a lawyer to comment on this
> -
>
> Recently Dave Scum presented all employees with a paper
> which had to be signed "as a condition of continued
> employment". All employees were required to waive their
> rights to file any lien against him for back wages. If you
> didn't sign it you were fired, as a number of people were.
>
> From a legal standpoint, isn't anything signed under the
> threat of losing your job being signed under duress? Is an
> agreement signed under duress actually legal? Is it
> enforceable?
>
> Problem is, most people effected by this are so broke from
> lack of wages they don’t have money to hire an attorney.
> Any attorneys out there that would love to do the Dallas
> Radio community a huge favor and help a group of former
> employees regain what’s owed them (for a nice cut, of
> course).
>
>
> > > >
> > > Pathetic. Schum (aka scum, according to one post here)
> > > fully deserves all the trouble that is sure to hit him
> one
> >
> > > day--certainly not soon enough, given what he's
> > perpetrated
> > > on the people who worked for him. Even worse, Schum
> > > persists in trying to paint a smiley face on his
> > disposition
> > > and dealings. Yeah, things are fine and dandy with him.
>
> > > Ignorance is bliss.
> > >
> > The problem is, he's not ignorant. He is one of the
> > absolute worst owners I have ever seen in my several
> decades
> > in radio. He knows exactly what he is doing. He plans
> every
> > move. He knows exactly the full effect of every action.
>
> >
> > Everyone should remember, this is his third failed attempt
>
> > at radio. Each attempt has resulted in people getting
> > majorly screwed.
> >
> He likes to brag that even though he's failed in the past,
> > everyone was eventually paid all the money they were owed.
>
> > That's the biggest crock of crap. There are still people
> > out there that are owed LOTS of money.
> >
> > Dave Schum needs to be blackballed from radio, never
> allowed
> > to ever again be in the business.
> >
>
Sounds like Scums 990 fell apart faster than a chinese motorcycle, IMHO.
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

a few things (ding)...

i'm fairly certain that everyone who was owed money from the cafe fiasco did get paid as part of the court order discharging schum's cafe bankruptcy & allowing him to go forward with venture capital "loan to own" financing for 990 and the alleged 700am...

the story in the dallas business journal quoted the lender as saying the station's payroll was $150,000 a month...based on my own experience and being very generous in estimating what other staffers were making, the staff payroll couldn't have been more than $50k a month---2-3 people in management would account for over a million a year in salary...nice...wish they had spent a little of that on advertising...

not paying health insurance premiums or the state of texas unemployment insurance is one thing...neither is a high priority-type item for a failed small business with the attorney general's office...

ON THE OTHER HAND...the initial bankruptcy filing stated the company owed the i.r.s. over $300,000 in withholding taxes...

giving your company an interest-free loan by taking withholding out of employee checks and then not sending it to uncle sam is not just a bad idea---it's against the law---and not just a civil law; it's criminal! (and the feds have been rather vigorous recently in their prosecutions of white-collar crime)...

when i left 990 and told the media that 990 was having "severe financial problems", i was trying to be a good boy like my momma taught me...

i always thought that schum was a good guy who just really didn't know anything about the radio business...

now i'll be a good boy again and just send best wishes to you & yours that share my passion for this crazy business....kmc
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

>a few things (ding)...
>
> i'm fairly certain that everyone who was owed money from the
> cafe fiasco did get paid...

I didn't. The Schumbag still owes me for about 5 weeks pay from KCAF. But I realized it was too much aggravation to go after it and would keep him in my life for just that much longer. I figure watching him crash and burn is a form of "payment in kind."
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

> >a few things (ding)...
> >
> > i'm fairly certain that everyone who was owed money from
> the
> > cafe fiasco did get paid...
>
> I didn't. The Schumbag still owes me for about 5 weeks pay
> from KCAF. But I realized it was too much aggravation to go
> after it and would keep him in my life for just that much
> longer. I figure watching him crash and burn is a form of
> "payment in kind."
>

i stand corrected...duh! guess who it was that told me he had paid off all the cafe debts?....
 
Re: 990AM Lies - Another thought

Can someone answer this question for me. What happens if the FCC goes out to the 990 tower and they find out that KFCD is running without a chief operator? Do they flat-out shut down, or is it a series of steps?
 
Re: 990AM Lies - A legal opinion needed

> >a few things (ding)...
> >
> > i'm fairly certain that everyone who was owed money from
> the
> > cafe fiasco did get paid...
>
> I didn't. The Schumbag still owes me for about 5 weeks pay
> from KCAF. But I realized it was too much aggravation to go
> after it and would keep him in my life for just that much
> longer. I figure watching him crash and burn is a form of
> "payment in kind."
>

From what I heard, he had to pay off the lengthy contracts that Scott Savage drew up for Katie Pruitt, Gail Lightfoot, Lynne Haze, Laurie Seal, etc, and those weren't even paid off until maybe 2 months before 990 signed back on. I'm sure the poor folks who put in the first five weeks of pre-launch were last on the list to ever get anything for it...surely the largest debts were paid first, and the group of you all that were owed $2500 or less were blown off. Bet Stubie, Barbara, Kelly and Connie never got paid for that time, either. How Connie could go back for Round Two is beyond me, but then again, knowing both sides of the story from Cafe, there was plenty of blame to go around and not just on Dave's shoulders (tho it's all on him this time.)
 
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