.radio

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Status:	Proposed
country:	International
Type:	Generic
Category:	Media
Priority #:	194 - Donuts (Tin Dale, LLC) 1070 - Afilias 1087 - BRS Media 1272 - The European Broadcasting Union

radio is a new generic top level domain name (gTLD) proposed to ICANN's new gTLD expansion program.

Current Applicants

1. BRS Media, Inc. is an e-commerce media dedicated in helping traditional and interactive media companies to develop and establish their brand online through the .radio TLD. The company started its .radio TLD project in 2009. The company selected Minds + Machines to assist in its application for the .radio string with ICANN and to serve as its back-end registry service provider. George Bundy, Chairman & CEO of BRS Media confirmed that the company's application for the .radio string has been submitted to ICANN in April 2012. In a statement, he emphasized his strong commitment to administer the .radio TLD in a professional, secure and reliable manner and to promote innovation and openness within the domain name space. The company already runs the radio themed ccTLDs, .fm and .am.
2. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) application for the .radio gTLD was confirmed by Jean-Paul Philippot, President of the organization. According to him, the .radio TLD will serve the best interest of the entire radio community. He said, "The EBU's acquisition of this TLD will serve a greater good, bringing tangible benefits to radio broadcasters and listeners everywhere. Our application includes the firm, written support of the EBU's seven sister unions, representing the interests of around 50,000 radio stations with a potential reach of some 5.5 billion listeners." EBU's bid for the .radio string is supported by the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU). In July 2013, EBU passed ICANN's Initial Evaluation. Its application is a Community Application.
3. Donuts (Tin Dale, LLC), one of 307 applications submitted by the company. The applicant has submitted Public Interest Commitments, which can be downloaded here.
4. Afilias

The EBU & Community Application Status

The EBU's application is a Community Priority Application. The EBU is the largest international association of national broadcasters, and it counts the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), the Association Mondiale des Radiodiffuseurs Communautaires (AMARC) among its supporters. According to its application, it intends to support not only traditional broadcasting but webcasting and streaming audio content as well. Their application asserts that Internet radios are also part of the Radio community, and as such will be acknowledged by .radio TLD, as will podcasters. In all cases certain minimum standards on streaming or updating schedules will apply.

According to ICANN rules, applicants that can justify a "community" designation -- those who operate a proposed new gTLD for the benefit of a 'clearly designated community' -- will receive "precedence for designation". If EBU can prove to ICANN's new gTLD review panel that it represents an entire community and does not lose the "community" designation due to challenges from other parties, it will be delegated .radio. Otherwise, .radio will be rewarded to the highest bidder through an auction process.

Contention

During ICANN 44 in Prague, the EBU requested permission to become a recognized observer in ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). This move raised questions of conflicts of interest, given that GAC's advice is to be strongly considered by the ICANN Board during application proceedings.

In July 2012, BRS Media chairman and CEO George Bundy sent a letter to Heather Dryden, head of the GAC. He noted a conflict of interest in EBU's application for .radio and requested that EBU withdraw its application. The EBU went on to be accepted into the GAC, and the acceptance notice can be seen here.

EBU published a statement prior to receiving BRS Media's letter that clarified and defended their position, stating, "The EBU represents the interests of the global radio community and can be relied on to provide a secure namespace to facilitate and speed the radio industry's digital, online evolution. Our responsibility is to every member of the radio community – not only the financially able or best equipped and to provide protection against cybersquatting or competing interests, who exploit commercial opportunities... It is not in the public interest to see (dot-radio) managed as a generic TLD by a non-radio stakeholder with commercial interests."