Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 1:20pm
You may recall last month our roundup (here) of the four groups applying to control the proposed ".radio" top level domain. One of those groups, the European Broadcasting Union,
has now reportedly joined the "Governmental Advisory Committee" (GAC) of ICANN, the body that actually decides who'll get the domains.
Obviously, on its face, this would seem like a conflict-of-interest. At least one EBU's rivals for ".radio" feels the same way. In a letter sent to GAC Chair Heather Dryden, BRS Media BRS Media chairman/CEO George Bundy stated, "No other GAC Members or Observers are a direct applicant for a generic Industry specific string like .RADIO that is contested," remarked . "This will give the EBU an undue advantage..."
Bundy's letter continued, "We believe these activities to be a direct Conflict of Interest, by the European Broadcasting Union within the New TLD Application process. Since the EBU has already been accepted to the GAC, we must request that the Chair recommend, the European Broadcasting Union recuse itself from the New TLD process by withdrawing its applications immediately."
Read the BRS Media press release here.