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Week ending March 31, 2012

EBU to apply for Top Level Domain names .radio and .eurovision - March 29, 2012
from Ben Steward/EBU

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) today revealed plans to submit a robust application to acquire the .radio Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the global broadcast radio community.

This application, which has the full backing of the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) and other relevant bodies, will stress that the .radio TLD would allow the EBU to create an internet-based platform where the world's radio broadcasters could assemble. Closer networking 'under one roof' would also bolster their position as an indispensible media sector, whose development would be accelerated by new radio services.

Currently there are 21 TLDs, including .com, .org and .net, as well as national TLDs, such as .ch, .fr and .de. But the world authority that maintains and regulates web addresses, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), has invited applications for new, more creative TLDs to be submitted by April 12, 2012.

The EBU Executive Board met in London yesterday, where a decision was taken to apply for the .radio TLD, as well as .eurovision.

Following the meeting, President Jean-Paul Philippot said the EBU's application for .radio was in the best interests of the radio community and the medium itself.

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 Director General Ingrid Deltenre said the EBU's aspirations for the .radio TLD would bring a one-time opportunity to "communitize" the world's oldest broadcasting medium as never before.

She added: "The EBU wants to ensure that the world's radio community has fair, reasonable access to a domain name that could bring unique impetus to the entire sector. The EBU would administer the .radio TLD in a neutral, reliable and not-for-profit way; it would be regrettable if it fell into hands that do not represent the entire radio community."

* The EBU's sister broadcasting unions, which together with the EBU make up the World Broadcasting Unions, are: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU); Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU); African Union of Broadcasting (AUB); Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU); International Association of Broadcasting (IAB); North American Broadcasters Association (NABA); Organizacion de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas (OTI)