Dot Radio Oversight Could Go to Non-Radio Company

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, October 17, 2013 | 3:48pm CT

BRS Media Inc. has re-launched Radio Forward at RadioForward.com as ICANN, the entity that oversees the Internet domain names, is in the process of considering a request to assign the .radio top level domain as a "Closed Restrictive Community" to Geneva-based CORE, a non-radio company. BRS says this attempt to "restrain and re-define" the radio business' presence online, will "create material harm to a significant portion of the radio industry by preventing legitimate 'radio' members, within the industry, from using .radio in the domain space.

"The very future of radio online is at stake. A statement you don't hear often or truly believe, unfortunately in this case is very real and valid," said BRS Media Chairman/CEO George T. Bundy (pictured). "History does repeat itself, the attack to limit or restrict radio online is no different than, and draws many parallels to, digital copyright issues in the 90's. Many in the industry, at that time, did not take a pro-active approach, and 15 years later are still struggling to balance digital copyright and streaming royalty issues."

He continued, "The radio industry must take a stance now to preserve an open, all-inclusive and innovative radio domain space. Any licensed radio broadcasters, companies serving radio (industry), web radios, licensed amateur radio and clubs and radio professionals should be extremely concerned regarding the unwarranted re-classification of the radio namespace."

Bundy also said that if the request to re-define radio as a restricted community succeeds, .radio will be regulated by a Geneva-based company called CORE, that has no ties to the radio industry.