Privacy Policy

Johnstone Sound Community Radio — Johnstone Sound Ltd
Last updated: 13 October 2026

1. Who we are

Johnstone Sound Community Radio is operated by Johnstone Sound Ltd, registered in Scotland under company number SC820612.

Johnstone Sound Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration reference ZB824657.

This policy explains how we collect, use and protect personal information when you use:

• www.johnstonesound.co.uk

• www.johnstonesound.com

It covers our website, contact forms, online radio stream, chat room and donations.

Johnstone Sound Ltd is the data controller for the personal information we collect and use for the purposes described in this policy. This means we decide why and how that information is used.

For privacy enquiries or to exercise your data protection rights, contact:

Email: office@johnstonesound.co.uk
Post: The Directors — Data Protection, Johnstone Sound Ltd, c/o Alpha Taxis, Studio Alpha, 17 High Street, Johnstone, PA5 8JU.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact information: your name, email address and any telephone number you provide.

• Correspondence: enquiries, feedback, complaints and other messages.

• Listener contributions: song requests, dedications and material you submit for broadcast.

• Chat information: your display name, messages and any profile or registration details supplied when using the chat room.

• Technical information: IP address, browser and device information, access times and security logs.

• Listening information: connection details and listening duration processed through our streaming service.

• Donation information: your name, donation amount, date, payment reference and any accompanying message. The information available to us depends on the payment method.

• Privacy preferences: records of consent, objections and requests concerning your information.

We collect information directly from you, through your use of our services, and from donation platforms or our bank when you make a payment.

Please avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in contact forms, chat messages or payment references.

3. How and why we use personal information

We process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended.

Purpose	Lawful basis
Responding to enquiries, contact forms and feedback	Legitimate interests in communicating with listeners and managing the station
Handling complaints	Legitimate interests in resolving concerns; legal obligation where a specific duty applies
Providing and moderating the chat room	Legitimate interests in providing a safe community discussion space and preventing misuse
Providing our website and radio stream	Legitimate interests in delivering and maintaining our services
Investigating technical problems, spam or security incidents	Legitimate interests in protecting our services and users
Handling requests and dedications submitted for broadcast	Legitimate interests in providing listener-led programming
Administering donations and acknowledging support	Legitimate interests in managing financial support for the station
Keeping accounting records required by law	Legal obligation
Using cookies or similar technologies that require consent	Consent
Responding to data protection requests	Legal obligation

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider your rights and reasonable expectations and balance these against the purpose of the processing.

Providing personal information is generally voluntary. However, without the necessary details, we may be unable to reply to an enquiry, process a request or provide a particular service.

If we collect information for a different purpose, we will provide any additional privacy information required.

4. Contact forms and correspondence

When you complete a contact form or email us, we use the information you provide to respond and deal with the matter you raise.

Your message may be shared with the directors or authorised volunteers best placed to help. Access is limited to those who need the information for their role.

Contact forms may use spam-prevention and security measures. Where an external service receives personal information for this purpose, it will be identified in the relevant form or supporting privacy information.

Contacting us does not subscribe you to marketing communications.

5. Chat room — RumbleTalk

Our website chat room is provided by RumbleTalk.

When you access or use the chat room, RumbleTalk processes information needed to provide the service. Depending on the login method and features used, this may include your display name, profile information, email address, login times, IP address, device information and messages.

Messages posted in the group chat and your display name are visible to other participants and may be visible to other website visitors, depending on the room’s access settings.

Please treat group chat messages as public. Do not post private contact details, sensitive information or personal information about other people that you do not have permission to share.

Authorised moderators may review group messages and relevant records to enforce chat rules, investigate complaints and prevent misuse. We may remove content or restrict access where necessary.

Our lawful basis for operating and moderating the chat room is our legitimate interest in maintaining a safe community discussion space.

RumbleTalk states that general and private messages are stored for up to six months. Messages may be deleted earlier. Where we retain a separate record to investigate a complaint or abusive behaviour, we keep it only for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and address any related legal requirements.

Other users may copy, screenshot or, where enabled, export messages. We cannot control copies made independently by other users.

For information about RumbleTalk’s processing, see its Privacy Policy and GDPR Privacy Information.

For requests concerning our use of chat information, contact office@johnstonesound.co.uk.

6. Song requests, dedications and broadcast contributions

If you send us a request, dedication or message specifically for broadcast, we may read out your name and the information intended for listeners.

Please tell us when submitting your contribution if you would prefer your name not to be mentioned. We do not read out your email address or other private contact details simply because you have supplied them.

If a programme is recorded or made available to listen to again, your contribution may form part of that recording. We will explain the intended recording, publication or promotional use when inviting recorded contributions.

Once a contribution has been broadcast, we cannot undo the broadcast or control copies made independently by listeners. You can contact us about future use or recordings we control.

7. Donations

We welcome donations through Buy Me a Coffee, BACS bank transfer and cheque.

Buy Me a Coffee

Donations through Buy Me a Coffee are processed by that platform and its payment providers.

We may receive supporter and transaction information made available to us, such as your name, contact details, donation amount and any accompanying message. We do not receive your full payment-card details through this process.

Buy Me a Coffee handles personal information under its own Privacy Policy.

Please review the platform’s visibility settings before leaving a name or message that you do not wish to appear publicly.

BACS bank transfers

When you donate by bank transfer, we receive the transaction information shown by our bank. This may include your name, payment reference, donation amount and date.

Please avoid including sensitive personal information in the payment reference.

Cheques

Cheques contain information such as your name, banking details and signature. We use this information to bank the cheque, administer the donation and maintain necessary records.

How we use donation information

We use donation information to reconcile payments, acknowledge support where appropriate, respond to enquiries and meet accounting and legal requirements.

Relevant records may be shared with our bank, accountants or authorities where necessary.

Making a donation does not subscribe you to marketing. We will not independently publish your identity as a donor without your permission. Information you choose to make public through a donation platform may be visible through that platform.

8. Website hosting and online listening

Website hosting — Fasthosts and WordPress

Our website is built using WordPress and hosted by Fasthosts.

Fasthosts provides the infrastructure used to store and deliver our website. This involves processing website data and technical information needed for hosting, maintenance and security.

Further information is available in the Fasthosts Privacy Notice.

WordPress plugins may support features such as contact forms, spam prevention and security. Where a plugin sends personal information to an external service, we identify that service in the relevant privacy or cookie information.

Radio streaming — The Media Site

Our online radio stream is provided by The Media Site, using SHOUTcast streaming technology.

When you play the stream, your device connects to the streaming infrastructure. Technical information, such as your IP address, player or device information, connection times and listening duration, may be processed to deliver audio, maintain the service, investigate faults and produce audience statistics.

We use this information on the basis of our legitimate interests in operating a reliable radio service and understanding audience usage.

SHOUTcast is the streaming technology used to deliver the service; The Media Site is our streaming provider.

Please contact office@johnstonesound.co.uk with questions about information processed through our radio stream.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored on your device. Similar technologies can also store or access information on your device.

Our websites and integrated services may use these technologies for essential functionality, security, preferences and other enabled features.

Where consent is required, we will ask before placing or accessing the technology. Where a lawful exception applies, we will provide the required information and any required means of objecting.

You can refuse or withdraw consent to optional technologies through the cookie-preference controls described in our cookie information. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, although blocking some technologies may affect website features.

10. Newsletters and marketing

We do not currently operate a newsletter.

If we introduce newsletters or other optional marketing communications, we will explain the service and seek appropriate consent before subscribing you.

Contacting us, joining the chat room or donating will not automatically add you to a future mailing list.

Where we rely on consent, you will be able to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

11. Who we share information with

Where necessary for the purposes described in this policy, personal information may be accessed by or shared with:

• Authorised directors, volunteers, presenters and moderators.

• Fasthosts and relevant website support providers.

• The Media Site for radio streaming.

• RumbleTalk for the chat service.

• Email, IT, security and other enabled service providers.

• Buy Me a Coffee, payment providers and our bank.

• Accountants and other professional advisers.

• Regulators, law enforcement agencies or other authorities where disclosure is required or otherwise lawful.

Providers processing information on our behalf must do so under appropriate contractual arrangements.

Some providers, including payment platforms and banks, also process information for their own purposes under their own privacy notices.

We do not sell personal information or give listener or donor contact lists to advertisers or sponsors for their own marketing.

12. International processing

Some external services may process personal information outside the UK. This depends on the providers and features used.

Where we make a restricted international transfer, we use an appropriate legal mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

You can contact us for details of the safeguards applicable to your information and how to obtain a copy.

13. How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for its purpose.

• Contact messages and complaints: while dealing with the matter and for any necessary follow-up, dispute-handling or legal period.

• Chat messages: as explained in section 5, with RumbleTalk stating retention of up to six months.

• Separate moderation records: for as long as needed to investigate incidents, manage restrictions and address related complaints or legal requirements.

• Requests and dedications: for the period needed to manage the request and associated programme administration.

• Donation and accounting records: for the applicable statutory accounting and tax retention periods.

• Technical and listening logs: for the period needed to maintain security, investigate faults and prepare audience statistics.

• Broadcast recordings: according to the recording and publication arrangements explained when contributions are collected.

• Privacy requests and preferences: for as long as needed to respond, demonstrate compliance and respect your choices.

When deciding retention periods, we consider the purpose, sensitivity of the information, applicable legal requirements and any unresolved disputes.

Information is then securely deleted or anonymised.

14. Keeping information secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.

Access is restricted to people who need the information for their role.

Although we take reasonable precautions, no internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

15. Children’s information

We recognise that children may listen to the station or visit our websites.

We take particular care with children’s personal information and collect only what is needed for the relevant interaction. We provide additional explanations or involve a parent or guardian where appropriate.

Activities specifically involving children may have separate privacy information and participation arrangements. Access to third-party services is also subject to any applicable age restrictions imposed by those services.

Please contact us if you are concerned about information a child has provided.

16. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Obtain a copy of your personal information.

• Have inaccurate or incomplete information corrected.

• Request deletion of your information.

• Restrict how your information is used.

• Receive certain information in a portable format.

• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

Your right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests for reasons relating to your circumstances. You have an absolute right to object to the use of your information for direct marketing.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exceptions. If we cannot fulfil a request, we will explain why.

To exercise your rights, email office@johnstonesound.co.uk or write to the address in section 1.

We may need to verify your identity. We normally respond within one month, subject to any extension or adjustment permitted by law. Requests are normally free of charge.

17. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal information, please contact:

office@johnstonesound.co.uk

We will investigate your concern and respond.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, whether or not you have contacted us first:

Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Our ICO registration reference: ZB824657.

18. Changes to this policy

We review this policy when our services or information-handling practices change.

The latest version will be published on our websites with an updated revision date. Where necessary, we will draw significant changes to your attention and explain any new use of your personal information before that use begins.