Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 1, 2026
Pirate Cat Radio (“KPCR,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is an independent, community-powered radio station operated by the nonprofit Central Coast Media Education Foundation, broadcasting on 92.9 FM in Los Gatos and 101.9 FM in Santa Cruz, and streaming worldwide at kpcr.org. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our websites, streams, and services, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using our sites and services, you agree to the practices described here.
Information We Collect
We collect information in a few ways:
- Information you provide. When you donate, become a member, buy merchandise, apply to host a show, volunteer, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us, you may provide your name, email address, mailing/shipping address, phone number, and payment information.
- Automatically collected information. Like most websites, we automatically receive certain information from your device — such as IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, and how you interact with our pages and audio streams. This helps us keep the stream reliable and understand what our community listens to.
- Cookies and similar technologies. We and our service providers use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, keep the audio player and shopping cart working, and measure site usage. See “Cookies & Tracking” below.
We do not knowingly collect more information than we need to provide our programming, process your donations and orders, and improve our services.
How We Use Your Information
- Process donations, memberships, and merchandise orders, and send related receipts and confirmations.
- Fulfill and ship merchandise, and provide customer support.
- Respond to show applications, volunteer inquiries, underwriting requests, and other messages.
- Send newsletters and updates you have asked to receive (you can unsubscribe at any time).
- Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our websites, streams, and podcasts.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.
Cookies & Tracking
Cookies are small files stored on your device. We use them to keep the radio player and cart functioning, remember choices such as volume, and gather aggregate analytics about site usage. You can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the banner shown on your first visit, and you can control cookies at any time through your browser settings. Some features — like the audio player and checkout — rely on essential cookies and may not work properly if these are disabled. We honor “Do Not Track” and Global Privacy Control signals where required by law.
How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as needed to run the station, including with:
- Payment and commerce providers — such as Snipcart and Stripe (checkout and payment) and Printful (merchandise printing and shipping) — to process and fulfill your orders.
- Donation and membership platforms — such as our donation processor, JoinIt (memberships), and vehicle-donation partner — to process your contributions.
- Communication and content tools — such as Mailchimp (email newsletters), Google Forms (applications), and rss.com (podcast hosting).
- Hosting and infrastructure providers — such as Vercel (website hosting), Sanity (content management), and our streaming host — that operate our services on our behalf.
- Legal and safety — when required by law, to respond to lawful requests, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of KPCR, our listeners, or others.
These providers are permitted to use your information only to perform services for us. Each provider maintains its own privacy policy governing the data it handles.
Third-Party Links & Embedded Content
Our sites may link to or embed content from third parties (for example, podcast players, social media, or partner websites). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Your Choices & Rights
- Email. You can unsubscribe from newsletters using the link in any email or by contacting us.
- Cookies. You can decline non-essential cookies and adjust your browser settings at any time.
- Access and deletion. You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of the personal information we hold about you, subject to legal and recordkeeping obligations. Contact us at info@kpcr.org.
California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended) gives you the right to know what personal information we collect, to request access to or deletion of that information, to correct inaccurate information, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. Because we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, there is nothing to opt out of in that respect. To make a request, email info@kpcr.org. We will verify your request before responding.
Data Security & Retention
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. Payment card details are handled by our PCI-compliant payment providers and are not stored on our own servers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described here or as required by law (for example, to keep donation and tax records).
Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for a general audience and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Significant changes may be announced on our website. Your continued use of our services after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact Us
Questions about this policy or your information? Reach out anytime:
Pirate Cat Radio — KPCR
Central Coast Media Education Foundation
Email: info@kpcr.org
KPCR-LP 92.9 FM Los Gatos · KMRT-LP 101.9 FM Santa Cruz