CHOP FM Privacy Policy

CHOP FM (“the station”), broadcasting from the campus of Pickering College, is committed to protecting the privacy of our listeners, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners. This Privacy Policy (“the policy”) explains how we collect, use, disclose,  safeguard, retain and destruct personal information. By engaging with CHOP FM through our broadcasts, website, events, or other services, you agree to the practices described below.

1. What is Personal Information

“Personal Information” means information about an identifiable individual. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Name, address, and personal telephone number and email address
• Donation or sponsorship information
• Financial details provided for processing transactions (e.g., donations, membership, advertising)
• Contest entries, including contact details required to notify winners
• Volunteer applications and records
• Employment applications and records
• Images, audio, or video recordings in connection with station activities
• Website visitor information (see “Website & Digital Platforms” below)

Professional information such as job title, business address, business phone number business email, or publicly available details is generally not considered personal information.

Professional information such as job title, business address, business phone number business email, or publicly available details is generally not considered personal information.

2. Why We Collect Personal Information

CHOP FM collects personal information to:

• Process and acknowledge donations, sponsorships, memberships, and advertising agreements (including issuing tax receipts where applicable)
• Communicate with supporters, volunteers, listeners, and sponsors about station programming, events, and opportunities to participate
• Manage volunteer and employment relationships
• Administer on-air contests, promotions, and events
• Respond to listener feedback, questions, or complaints
• Fulfil legal and regulatory obligations (e.g., Canada Revenue Agency, CRTC requirements)
• Understand our audience and improve programming through aggregated, anonymized data

3. How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information in the following ways:

• Directly from you: when you donate, enter a contest, apply to volunteer, advertise, or contact us
• Electronically: when you fill in online forms or interact with our website/social media
• Automatically: through cookies or analytics tools that record basic website visitor information (such as pages visited, browser used, and time spent on site)
• Through participation in station events, interviews, or recordings

You are not required to provide personal information to access our broadcasts. However, certain services (e.g., contests, donations, or volunteering) may require it.

4. How We Use, Store, Retain and Destruct Personal Information

Personal information is used only for the purposes for which it was collected, unless otherwise permitted by law. CHOP FM:

• • Stores donor and volunteer information in secure databases, accessible only to authorized staff or volunteers on a “need-to-know” basis
• • Stores contest winner details securely for prize administration and regulatory compliance
• • May use third-party service providers (such as payment processors or cloud storage providers) who are contractually required to protect personal information in line with Canadian privacy law
• • Retains personal information for as long as required to fulfill the identified purposes or to comply with statutory retention periods

• • Destructs personal data securely once a decision has been made not to retain or archive 

Some service providers may store information outside Canada. In such cases, personal data may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction.

5. Consent

By providing personal information to CHOP FM, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as described in this policy. Consent may be expressed (in writing or verbally) or implied (by your actions, such as entering a contest or donating online).
You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual obligations. Withdrawal of consent may limit your ability to participate in certain programs or services (e.g., receiving a tax receipt, entering a contest).

6. Safeguards

CHOP FM employs physical, organizational, and technological measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, loss, or disclosure. For example:

• Locked offices and secure storage for paper records
• Password-protected databases for donor and volunteer information
• Internal policies limiting access to personal information to staff/volunteers who require it for station operations

7. Access, Accuracy, and Correction

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, to verify its accuracy, and to request erasure where appliable or corrections if it is incomplete or inaccurate.
To make such a request, please contact the Privacy Officer (see Section 9).

8. Website & Digital Platforms

When you visit CHOP FM’s website, we collect basic, non-identifying information such as:

• Domain from which you access our site
• Date and time of your visit
• Pages viewed and, operating system and browser used

This information helps us analyze traffic patterns and improve user experience.

• Cookies: Our website may use cookies to track usage patterns. You can disable cookies in your browser settings; however, some site features may not function properly.
• Third-party links: Our website and social media may link to external sites. CHOP FM is not responsible for the privacy practices of other organizations.
• Email lists: If you sign up for CHOP FM newsletters, we will only send the types of communications you request. You may unsubscribe at any time.

9. Accountability & Contact

Accountability for compliance with this policy rests with CHOP FM’s Privacy Officer, appointed by Pickering College.

Station Manager Contact:
Email: info@chop1027.ca
Phone: 905-895-1700
Mail: CHOP FM, Pickering College, 16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON L3Y 4X2

10. Updates to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in practices, technology, or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available on our website, with the date of the last update clearly shown.