Last Updated: February 27, 2026
Sinclair Communications and its related companies (including WTAR) respect your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our websites, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have regarding your personal data.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information in two primary ways:
- Information You Provide Directly: When you enter a contest, sign up for an electronic newsletter, fill out a contact form, or request technical support, we collect the personal information you share. This may include your name, email address, phone number, home address, age, and gender.
- Information We Collect Automatically: When you visit our websites or listen to our audio streams, we automatically collect certain technical data to make the site function and deliver targeted content. This includes your IP address, browser type, device type, and your activity on our website.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Deliver our live radio streams and audio content to your device.
- Notify you if you win a contest or sweepstakes.
- Send you newsletters or promotional materials (only if you have opted in).
- Improve website performance, diagnose technical issues, and analyze listener trends.
- Deliver customized content and targeted advertising based on your interests.
- Protect the security of our website and prevent fraud.
3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We and our third-party partners use cookies, local storage, and similar tracking technologies to recognize your browser or device.
- Essential & Functional: To keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and allow our media players to function properly.
- Analytics: To measure how many people visit our site and which pages are most popular (e.g., Google Analytics).
- Advertising: To serve ads that are relevant to you. We partner with ad networks that use cookies to build profiles based on your browsing history across different websites to deliver targeted advertising.
- Security: We utilize Google reCAPTCHA to protect our forms from spam and abuse. Use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
4. Information We Share (and “Sell”)
To keep our content free for listeners, we rely on advertising revenue. Under certain state laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), sharing data for targeted advertising purposes is considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information.
We share data with the following categories of third parties:
- Advertising Networks & Ad Tech Providers: We share automated browsing data and identifiers with platforms like Google Ad Manager to bid on and serve relevant digital ads.
- Social Media Platforms: We integrate tools from platforms like Meta (Facebook), which may collect data about your visit to our site to measure ad campaigns or serve targeted content.
- Audio Streaming Partners: We share basic connection data (like IP addresses) with our streaming platform providers to deliver our broadcast and measure listener metrics.
- Service Providers: We share data with vendors who perform essential services on our behalf (such as form processing or website hosting). They are legally restricted from using your data for their own marketing.
- Legal Authorities: We will disclose information if required by a subpoena, to cooperate with law enforcement, or to protect the safety of our users and the public.
- SMS Data Exclusion: Please note that text messaging originator opt-in data and consent information will not be shared with any third parties, sold to advertising networks, or used for any cross-contextual behavioral marketing purposes.
5. Your Privacy Rights & Choices
Depending on where you live (including California, Virginia, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws), you have specific rights regarding your personal information:
- The Right to Know & Access: You can request a copy of the specific personal data we have collected about you.
- The Right to Delete: You can request that we delete personal data you have provided to us (subject to legal exceptions).
- The Right to Correct: You can request that we fix inaccurate information.
- The Right to Opt-Out of “Sales” and “Sharing”: You have the right to opt out of having your data shared for cross-contextual behavioral advertising.
How to Exercise Your Rights:
- To Opt-Out of Targeted Advertising: Click the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link located in the footer of our website. This will launch a menu allowing you to disable third-party advertising tracking.
- To Access, Correct, or Delete Data: Please contact us using the information in Section 8 below.
- Newsletters: You can stop receiving promotional emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email.
6. Children’s Privacy
Our websites are meant for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not submit any information through our websites. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.
7. External Links and Security
Our website contains links to external sites not operated by Sinclair Communications. We do not control these third-party sites and are not responsible for their privacy practices.
While we use industry-standard security measures to protect the data you provide to us, no system is completely impenetrable. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact:
IT Manager
Sinclair Communications
Norfolk, VA
Email: dthompson@wtar.com