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Privacy policy

Effective Date: Sept. 4, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Local Public, a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (“Local Public,” “LocalPublic.tv,” “we,” “our”), collects, uses, and discloses information through two distinct services: (1) the LocalPublic.tv marketing website and newsletter (the “Site”), and (2) the Local Public Apps streaming platform and content management system made available to public television stations and their authorized end users (the “Service”). This policy covers both.

If you are an Authorized End User of a Local Public App operated by a public television station (“PTS”), your use is also subject to the privacy policy of that PTS. We encourage you to review it.

Marketing Website & Newsletter

Information We Collect

We collect limited information through the Site:

  • Subscription data: If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address and any other details you voluntarily provide.
  • Newsletter analytics: We track whether you open our emails or click links within them, via HubSpot.
  • Website analytics: In the future, we may use Google Analytics to collect aggregated, anonymized visitor data (pages viewed, time on site, referral source). Google Analytics uses cookies to gather this data.

How We Use It

We use Site data to send newsletter updates, measure content engagement, and improve the Site. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

Service Providers (Site)

We share Site data with the following providers, who are contractually prohibited from using it for their own purposes:

  • HubSpot, for newsletter hosting and delivery
  • Data submitted through website forms is handled by the HubSpot CRM
  • In the future, we may use Google Analytics for web traffic analysis   

Your Choices

  • Email: Unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email.
  • Cookies: Decline cookies via your browser settings or use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Local Public Apps Service

This section applies to the Local Public Apps SaaS, the streaming-apps-as-a-service platform including station-branded apps for a variety of web video portals, and the shared content management system (CMS) used by subscribing public television stations. In this context:

  • PTS means each public television station that subscribes to the Service under a Local Public Apps SaaS Agreement.
  • Authorized End Users means members of the public in the United States or Canada with free access to PTS programming, and qualifying PBS Passport members of a PTS.

Information Collected Through the Service

a. As a service provider to PTS (station-level data)
PTS controls the Authorized End User relationship and data under its own privacy policies. Local Public processes Authorized End User data on PTS’s behalf as a service provider. This may include:

  • Watch history and content interaction data
  • PBS Passport membership and authentication data
  • Behavioral analytics events
  • First-party Authorized End User data delivered in near real-time via API or Snowflake

 b. For Service operations and improvement
To operate and improve the Service, Local Public may also process:

  • Aggregated and de-identified usage data across the station coalition
  • Technical logs, error reports, and performance metrics
  • CMS access and activity data for PTS accounts

Data Ownership

First-party Authorized End User data collected through each PTS’s Local Public App belongs to that PTS. Local Public does not have direct control over PBS infrastructure; data flowing through PBS integrations is subject to PBS’s own policies and agreements with PTS. Local Public does not claim ownership of PTS Authorized End User data, does not use it for cross-station targeting, and does not sell it.

AI Recommendations

Local Public Apps may include an AI-powered recommendation engine that analyzes content metadata and Authorized End User interactions to personalize recommendations within each PTS app. Recommendation data is processed at the station level and is not used to build cross-station Authorized End User profiles.

Service Providers (Subprocessors)

Local Public engages the following categories of subprocessors to operate the Service:

  • Cloud infrastructure: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform
  • Content delivery: Fastly, Amazon CloudFront
  • Personalization: Recombee
  • Analytics: Google Analytics (PTS-controlled accounts)
  • Data warehousing: Snowflake (for PTS data delivery)

Data Retention

Authorized End User data on the Service is retained as specified in each PTS’s Local Public Apps SaaS Agreement. Aggregated platform analytics are retained for operational and product improvement purposes. PTS may request deletion of its Authorized End User data in accordance with its agreement terms.

Security

The Service is hosted on third party cloud platforms with content delivery through third party service providers. We maintain technical and organizational measures designed to protect data against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. No system is guaranteed to be secure, and we do not warrant that breaches will not occur.

State Privacy Laws (California)

California (CCPA/CPRA): California residents have rights to know, delete, and opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To submit a request, contact hello@localpublic.tv. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

Contact

For privacy questions or data requests related to the Service, contact hello@localpublic.tv. For questions about data held by a specific PTS app, contact that station directly.