While LPFMs do not have to keep Public Inspection File, certain files and records must be maintained for inspection by the FCC even if the public does not have the legal right to see them.  Below are requirements related to Political Files, Records Logs, Station (or Operations Logs), EAS logs.  LPFMs do not need to maintain a file of comments from the public. Stations in the United States (except Short-wave) are not required to keep program logs any more.  LPFMs do need to retain a list of Sponsors (Underwriters). 

Logging Requirements for LPFM Stations
by Bryan French

Records Log: Put copies of everything you sent to the FCC in here. Keep things from the FCC in there such as the postcard for your initial call-sign request and past authorizations. Your current authorization should be posted near the transmitter and if your transmitter is in another location (IE: another building, or somewhere distant) a copy should be posted in the studios. Also place things that are needed such as all equipment manuals.

Station (or Operations) Log: The FCC really doesn't say how often to check your operating parameters. They just say on a regular basis. Several times per day we look at all the meters. However, these are never logged. It is not required to have a frequency meter, power meter in-line, and modulation meter. Most good transmitters have enough metering. For instance ours shows Forward Power, Reverse Power, Modulation, Output Power, Voltage, Current.

Once per month our Chief Engineer comes in reads the meters, does some equations, writes the readings and the time the "inspection" was done, anything else he did, and signs the log book. It is not necessary for an LPFM to have a Chief Engineer and it can be anyone that knows what they are doing. Ours happens to be my brother who will stop by on his way to the TV station
where he works.

What goes in the Station log. Every time you sign on and sign off is logged, every time you go off the air and the reason (i.e.: we have several in the station log where we were off the air due to local utility outage), every time you are operating out of specs and what was done to correct it. If you are operating 24/7 there will probably be a week or more where nothing
gets in the log.

For historical reasons you may want to put things in the log that normally don't go in such as: 'We drove to Podnock and the station sounded really great!' or 'Today was the first day we tried satellite interconnection' etc...

Remember to always put the date and time, and sign every log entry.

EAS Log: The only things that have to go in this log is that you received the Required Weekly Test (RWT) from your assigned sources, received the Required Monthly Test from your assigned sources (RMT), and that you have rebroadcast at least 1 RWT each week, and that you have rebroadcast at least 1 RMT each month.

Now things get a little tricky and it is suggested that you log every EAS message you receive. Why you may ask? Well, if the EAS was activated, lets say it was a Flash Flood Warning (FFW), then that FFW activation can count as the RWT. In the week that the RMT is scheduled the RMT can take the place of the RWT.

Our EAS Log follows the following format:

Date----Time----Source-----Code-Area------Status---Signature
9/05/03--8:04pm--WXR------SVR---Belmont Co. OH-TR-Bryan French

Translation: At 8:04pm on September 5th, 2003 a message was received from the National Weather Service issuing a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Belmont County, Ohio. The message was retransmitted by WVJW-LP and witnessed by Bryan French who was at the controls.