What is a Community Top Level Domain?
The following are the various kinds of TLDs:
o Standard generic TLDs (e.g. .com, .club , .cloud): No particular TLD-specific policy
o Country code TLDs (e.g. .ch, .de , it, .tv): Subject to the respective country’s laws
o Brand TLDs (e.g. .ibm, .eurovision): For exclusive use by the respective registry operator
o Geographic and cultural/language TLDs (e.g. .paris, .swiss): For the respective local community, culture or language
o Community-based TLDs (e.g. .bank, .radio , .pharmacy): For the respective community
Community TLDs are intended for community groups operating their own TLD for an economic sector, a cultural community or a linguistic community. Rules and controls are defined to ensure that the TLD represents a specific community, being reserved for its use.
Only the community TLD can fully prevent cybersquatting by limiting who can obtain a .radio domain (policy, pre- and post-controls), and avoid schemes similar to ‘.tv’ in which many speculators buy domains simply for commercial purposes, namely for reselling them to brand owners for defensive reasons.
Few Community TLDs propositions have passed the very difficult ICANN Community Priority Evaluation Process (CPE). Many projects have been rejected due to the stringent CPE procedure. Being recognized as Community TLD is significant, since it means that genuine projects are recognized and given priority, whereas other non-community projects are eliminated. In the alternative scenario, auctions are organized and can be assigned on a purely commercial basis.
Passing the CPE gate marked the start of challenges by the three other applicants for .radio. Their goal was to use .radio for purely commercial reasons as compared with our willingness to make .radio a high-quality internet space reserved to the world radio community. Other Community TLD Projects are still experiencing similar issues due to the resistance those involved in the domain industry to accept the community TLDs concept.
The DotRadio registry (EBU) has set up a World .Radio Advisory Board. Why, and who participate?
The World .Radio Advisory Board has been established in January 2017, and comprise individuals from supporting organizations, including public service radio, commercial radio and amateur radio, representing the worldwide radio community. The board will define policies and will stay across the development of the .radio TLD.
Here are the organizations that endorsed the project in spring 2012:
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)
Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU)
African Union of Broadcasting (AUB)
Caribbean Broadcasting Union
International Association of Broadcasting (IAB)
Asociación Internacional de Radiodifusión
North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica (OTI)
Association Européenne des Radios (AER)
The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB)
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (EGTA)
The Metropolitan Opera
Union Radiophonique et Télévisuelle Internationale (URTI)
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
If a radio station or other organization wishes to obtain a ".radio" URL when and how can they apply?
Registrants should contact one of the registrars offering .radio registrations. The registrars transmit the registration requests electronically to the DotRadio registry system. At that point, requests are validated by EBU's .radio team.
The .radio TLD is available to anyone with a bona fide nexus to the radio world. Special rules may apply to terms of significance for the Radio community. Registration requests are handled on a first-come-first-served basis unless special rules apply for particular kinds of requests. Pre-validation and/or post-validation will take place as required by the registration policy.