Radio station logs!HELP!!!!!!!!!!
 

Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations
regarding retention of log times for advertisements? My company ran
ads on several stations last year and we now need to verify the log
times (what were the exact times and dates that they aired?) for those
ads. Are radio stations required to keep such records? If so, how long
are they required to keep them? Any help would be GREATLY
appreciated!!

Radio stations usually keep commercial logs for at least a year.

I have to admit that your search will be costly in terms of hours, though. Did
you receive invoices with the times on them?

On 13 Feb 2004 19:11:11 GMT, (Peter) wrote:

Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations
regarding retention of log times for advertisements? My company ran
ads on several stations last year and we now need to verify the log
times (what were the exact times and dates that they aired?) for those
ads. Are radio stations required to keep such records? If so, how long
are they required to keep them? Any help would be GREATLY
appreciated!!

The station I work for keeps program logs for three years and
transmitter logs for five years.

However, it's very common practice these days for invoices to include
spot play dates and times. Doublecheck to make sure your invoice
doesn't already give you that information.

Broadcast operations, despite relaxation of the requirement to do so, would do well
to keep their logs for at least the term of license, plus 3 years.
With license terms up around, what, 7 years now, this is certainly an onerous
undertaking, but the stations which do certainly have an advantage
over those like this one who are having an awful time of it trying to find the
support necessary.

Seeing as so many continuity logs are kept electronically, now, I don't see what the
trouble is. And if the station in question hasn't invested the
expense to store them electronically, this is when a lot of learning occurs. Good
records are everything in a broadcast operation....having them usually
satisfies all sort of questions posed by a visiting Field Officer, even if what's
been alleged is true.

But now I see that the inquiry relates to a client-station relationship....good luck,
because as I recall, there are no explicit log requirements now, seeing as there are
no limits for commercial time, no minimums for news, no nothing. If you have a
station which actually keeps and stores logs, then you've been lucky.

-- For direct replies, take out the contents between the hyphens. -Really!-

"RadioGal12" wrote in message ...
Radio stations usually keep commercial logs for at least a year.

I have to admit that your search will be costly in terms of hours, though. Did
you receive invoices with the times on them?

"Steve Sundberg" wrote in message
...
On 13 Feb 2004 19:11:11 GMT, (Peter) wrote:

Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations
regarding retention of log times for advertisements?

I don't believe they ARE required to keep that information anymore. From
what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to have logs at
all. However, most DO...for their own purposes.

My company ran
ads on several stations last year and we now need to verify the log
times (what were the exact times and dates that they aired?) for those
ads.

You, as rthe advertiser could have asked for affadvits for the
broadcasts...OR even airchecks.
(Something you could've stipulated before the spot buy.)
..

Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations regarding
retention of log times for advertisements?

Logs of commercials are not required to be kept.

From what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to have logs at
all.

Incorrect. Logs must be kept for:

1) Tower light outages, and
2) All EAS alerts and tests.

Well, I researched the FCC web site and discovered that logs are
required to be kept for 2 years, but only for tower outages, when the
call letters are announced and the time and sponsor of each "program",
whatever that means. It seems like the stations do keep logs of
advertisement log times, but my problem is that we bought the ads
through a 3rd party and we're trying to verify the log times that the
3rd party gave us, because we don't believe them. Unfortunately, if
the ads weren't bought directly from the station, they don't keep log
times or sponsor names. Sucks to be me.


ospam (Sid Schweiger) wrote in message ...
Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations regarding
retention of log times for advertisements?

Logs of commercials are not required to be kept.

From what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to have logs at
all.

Incorrect. Logs must be kept for:

1) Tower light outages, and
2) All EAS alerts and tests.

You don't have a "traffic" dept? (Traffic as in scheduling spots).
"Peter" wrote in message
...
Well, I researched the FCC web site and discovered that logs are
required to be kept for 2 years, but only for tower outages, when the
call letters are announced and the time and sponsor of each "program",
whatever that means. It seems like the stations do keep logs of
advertisement log times, but my problem is that we bought the ads
through a 3rd party and we're trying to verify the log times that the
3rd party gave us, because we don't believe them. Unfortunately, if
the ads weren't bought directly from the station, they don't keep log
times or sponsor names. Sucks to be me.


ospam (Sid Schweiger) wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations regarding
retention of log times for advertisements?

Logs of commercials are not required to be kept.

From what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to have
logs at
all.

Incorrect. Logs must be kept for:

1) Tower light outages, and
2) All EAS alerts and tests.

Well, the problem is that an inside source at this 3rd party, through
whom we purchased the air time, told us that our spots might never
have even run at all. So, even though this 3rd party gave us very
detailed log times, obviously we're very interested in verifying these
log times with another source. Unfortunately, it seems like radio
stations don't keep sponsor information or even log times for 3rd
party spots. (Sort of like a Paul Harvey kind of thing, but it's NOT
Paul harvey that I'm talking about.) So, there doesn't seem to be a
way to make sure that the 3rd party is telling the truth.


"Eddie Haskel" wrote in message ...
You don't have a "traffic" dept? (Traffic as in scheduling spots).
"Peter" wrote in message
...
Well, I researched the FCC web site and discovered that logs are
required to be kept for 2 years, but only for tower outages, when the
call letters are announced and the time and sponsor of each "program",
whatever that means. It seems like the stations do keep logs of
advertisement log times, but my problem is that we bought the ads
through a 3rd party and we're trying to verify the log times that the
3rd party gave us, because we don't believe them. Unfortunately, if
the ads weren't bought directly from the station, they don't keep log
times or sponsor names. Sucks to be me.


ospam (Sid Schweiger) wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any information on FCC rules and regulations regarding
retention of log times for advertisements?

Logs of commercials are not required to be kept.

From what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to have
logs at
all.

Incorrect. Logs must be kept for:

1) Tower light outages, and
2) All EAS alerts and tests.

This sounds like a nightmare.

Perhaps the station keeps Production files--a cover page identifying the name
of the advertiser and scripts and the rotation of commercials. If you entered
this agreement in 4th quarter, lets say, you might be able to get this
production information. I know we box up scripts, traffic sent from agencies
for a year or so after its run.

Hope this helps

On 17 Feb 2004 20:40:36 GMT, Peter ("Peter") writes:

Peter Well, the problem is that an inside source at this 3rd party, through
Peter whom we purchased the air time, told us that our spots might never
Peter have even run at all. So, even though this 3rd party gave us very
Peter detailed log times, obviously we're very interested in verifying these
Peter log times with another source. Unfortunately, it seems like radio
Peter stations don't keep sponsor information or even log times for 3rd
Peter party spots. (Sort of like a Paul Harvey kind of thing, but it's NOT
Peter Paul harvey that I'm talking about.) So, there doesn't seem to be a
Peter way to make sure that the 3rd party is telling the truth.

You're supposed to either listen to the broadcast for the ads yourself,
or hire another company to listen for you. Otherwise it's going to be
difficult to come up with any evidence for your case.

..
From what I understand, the FCC doesn't even require a station to
have
logs at
all.

Incorrect. Logs must be kept for:

1) Tower light outages, and
2) All EAS alerts and tests.

I stand corrected.

However, the original question was about commercials..and my answer was
about programming logs.
..

In article , Peter wrote:
Well, the problem is that an inside source at this 3rd party, through
whom we purchased the air time, told us that our spots might never
have even run at all. So, even though this 3rd party gave us very
detailed log times, obviously we're very interested in verifying these
log times with another source. Unfortunately, it seems like radio
stations don't keep sponsor information or even log times for 3rd
party spots. (Sort of like a Paul Harvey kind of thing, but it's NOT
Paul harvey that I'm talking about.) So, there doesn't seem to be a
way to make sure that the 3rd party is telling the truth.

No, but at least you can go to the traffic supervisor at one of the stations
and ask if they have even _heard_ of your spot.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

That's probably the best idea at this point. Thanks a lot.


(Scott Dorsey) wrote in message ...
In article , Peter wrote:
Well, the problem is that an inside source at this 3rd party, through
whom we purchased the air time, told us that our spots might never
have even run at all. So, even though this 3rd party gave us very
detailed log times, obviously we're very interested in verifying these
log times with another source. Unfortunately, it seems like radio
stations don't keep sponsor information or even log times for 3rd
party spots. (Sort of like a Paul Harvey kind of thing, but it's NOT
Paul harvey that I'm talking about.) So, there doesn't seem to be a
way to make sure that the 3rd party is telling the truth.

No, but at least you can go to the traffic supervisor at one of the stations
and ask if they have even _heard_ of your spot.
--scott

On 18 Feb 2004 19:43:28 GMT, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:


No, but at least you can go to the traffic supervisor at one of the stations
and ask if they have even _heard_ of your spot.

Additionally, a copy of the invoices sent to the 3rd party might be
acquired if the situation were explained to the station's traffic
director.

If the production continuity was handled properly at the radio
station, individual spots -- even from a 3rd party agency's roster of
clients -- would be identified by ISCI code or some other ID so that
the station know when to properly play which spot.

E.g. Agency XYZ is buying time for a roster of an insurance company's
local agents. Each of those agents is to get a tag mention at the end
of a generic :60 spot. The radio station might invoice Agency XYZ with
the playback times of the :60 is this manner:

My Insurance Co + Tag TP 12:45 p.m.
My Insurance Co + Tag ES 2:38 p.m.
My Insurance Co + Tag GT 6:06 p.m.

The initials would stand for the individual insurance agent being
tagged.