.radio ready for launch, announces EBU

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that the .radio new generic top level domain name (gTLD) is ready to be launched, following a 4-year long preparatory process. Approved by ICANN as a community TLD, .radio will, according to EBU, ‘run for the benefit of the whole radio industry and amateur enthusiast, and [will be] reserved for people and companies with active interest in the radio sector’. Domain names under .radio will be open for registration by: radio broadcasting stations; unions of broadcasters; Internet radios; radio amateurs; radio professionals (journalists, radio hosts, DJs, etc.); and radio-related companies selling radio goods and services. A pre-launch phase, specifically targeted at managers of radio stations, will likely run between 3 May and 5 July 2017, while November 2017 is the target date for general availability. The EBU also intends to charge .radio domain name registrants differently, with higher prices for companies, and lower for individuals.