Limited Registration Period for .RADIO Domain Names Ends Oct.31, 2017 – The Time to Register Is Now!

Now until Oct. 31, 2017, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is offering a "Special Limited Registration Period" - a pre-launch opportunity for the registration of .RADIO domain names by radio broadcasters, radio professional, radio amateurs, Internet radios, and radio-related companies. Call letters, corporate names, on-air personality names, and even slogans can all be registered as domain names in .RADIO. If you want to join this special Internet Domain Space for the Global Radio Community, now is a good time to register.

Several things to know.

First, it won't be cheap. While a new .COM domain names sells for about $12 per year, .RADIO domain names will run about $350 per year. Why the higher price? New Generic Top Level Domain Registries such as Donuts and EBU don't have the same price caps as Verisign for its .COM domains. Also, in this limited launch, EBU has committed to doing special checks to limit .RADIO domain names to those in the radio industry.

Second, it won't be as easy to register .RADIO domain names as usual. Not all registrars are offering .RADIO during this limited launch period, and thus GoDaddy, for example, is not a place you can purchase them. You may need to find a new registrar, and open a new account. EBU provides a list of all current registrars of .RADIO at: https://www.nic.radio/registrars.

Third, you will be asked for additional paperwork at registration or afterwards. This Limited Registration Period is not a traditional "first-come, first-served" registration of domain names in .RADIO. Instead, per EBU policies, only "eligible applicants" are allowed to register in this special period. This special "priority" group includes official radio operators (by call letters, names, and acronyms), radio professionals (by names or nicknames), and radio-related companies. There is also an additional "Landrush" category for registering domain names broadly associated with the industry - including radio programs, formats, and slogans. After the end of the Limited Registration Period on Oct. 31, all domain name applications will be reviewed. According to EBU, "broadcast radio stations will be prioritized over other categories," and domain names will be registered.

Why bother to register a domain name now in .RADIO? If you are a radio broadcaster, the answer is that it will likely save you money in the end. After Nov. 15, 2017, registrations in .RADIO will be open to the public - meaning that anyone can buy .RADIO domain name. It's easier and less expensive to buy your .RADIO domain name now than trying to get it back later if someone registers it.

Another good reason would be that you were unable to register a .COM domain name for something you wanted. The call letters, names, or terms should now be available in .RADIO. This type of "expansion of the domain name space" was exactly what ICANN was seeking to create when it introduced a thousand new Generic Top Level Domains.

There are examples of current .RADIO websites, "pioneers" who registered in an earlier period: WWBR.RADIO, DEEP.RADIO, PLAYER.RADIO, and ZZROCK.RADIO.

As with all domain names, you can register them directly with a registrar. However, should you have questions about .RADIO or need assistance, please let us know. Our attorneys regularly work with all the players in the global domain name system.