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