EBU bid to manage new Internet portal gets more support

A bid by the European Broadcasting Union to manage a worldwide Internet domain portal specially for radio has won more support.

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) says it backs the EBU’s application to manage the .radio domain.

The EBU has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to manage the top level domain name .radio to create a world-wide radio community.

Under the proposal, registration will be available via the EBU to all eligible radio representative organisations and broadcasters, Internet radios, radio amateurs, radio professionals and their respective representative organisations, as well as companies providing radio-specific products and services.

IARU president Timothy Ellam says: “The IARU believes that the .radio proposal provides a unique opportunity to standardise radio domain names on the internet. The use of a specific global online name such as .radio can help create a unique space worldwide, a place where the global radio community can gather.”

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre has welcomed the IARU’s support.

“The EBU believes its application matches ICANN’s exacting criteria and best serves the collective interests of the global radio community,” she says.

ICANN has extended the formal period for public comment to 26 September 2012 to meet the demands of individuals and organisations. Its open forum is at: https://gtldcomment.icann.org/