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Valley TV workers fight for pay

Photographers at WGST Productions Inc. say they're owed thousands.
Posted at 6:00 AM, Oct 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-02 10:34:48-04

You may have seen the shows with Mario Lopez and Kim Alexis as hosts. They highlight different businesses, some in the Phoenix area.

But some workers on those shows, are complaining they did the work and didn't get paid.

Harley Bonham lives in the Valley. He did freelance work for a company called WGST Productions Inc., involving model Kim Alexis at her Valley home.

Bonham says he did the work, saw it used but couldn't get his $2,250 invoice paid.

WGST's website showed they produced the shows "Make This Place Your Home" and "Foodquest" with host Mario Lopez.

Behind the scenes, crew members from around the country told us the same story.

They say they were hired by WGST, but the company nor owner Dan Dailey paid them, and that it has been going on for a while.

Brian Wengrofsky works from his New York City base. He showed an invoice where he was hired by WGST for a Foodquest shoot last year.

Wengrofsky says his video was also used but that he couldn't get his $2,900 fee. He did get an email sent to his attorney that says it's from Dailey. It says "we intend to pay your client. We are running behind on bills."

We sent invoices of three workers and asked Dan Dailey where's the money? In a series of emails, he says workers were paid "at the agreed rate."

He says "if these unpaid freelancers had a case against the company, why would they not just file a lawsuit for the alleged monies owed instead of contacting some news reporter in Phoenix, Arizona."

Dailey did not respond specifically about the three invoices we sent. He also did not reply to questions about his financial past.

In the '90s, he owned a different Florida production company that filed for bankruptcy. It's case was dismissed.

In 2005, Dailey sought personal bankruptcy protection. His case was dismissed and he was denied relief.

With Dailey's lastest business, it's not just crew members complaining.

Last year, WGST shot a segment at Jason's Deli in Scottsdale.

A Valley photographer hired for that shoot says he wasn't paid his $1,750 fee. And Jason's Deli says they never got their show.

In an email to us, the company says they "paid for a segment to be aired on Foodquest." They say the air date was delayed.

"We were able to see a few rounds of edited footage during this process, but we have never received the fulfillment of our original contract with WGST," the Jason's Deli spokesperson says.

In an email, Dailey referred to WGST as " out of business." And the website is down.

We reached out to Kim Alexis who says she does "not condone the actions of WGST... I share some of the same issues and the same concerns as others I have worked with at WGST."

We tried to get a response from reps for Mario Lopez but were ignored.