BRS Registry Brings Nearly 30 Years of TLD Operating Experience to New gTLD Applicants Following ICANN Reveal Day

BRS Registry Brings Nearly 30 Years of TLD Operating Experience to New gTLD Applicants Following ICANN Reveal Day 

 

Longtime .FM operator offers real-world expertise in registry operations, RSP evaluation, positioning, marketing and long-term growth.

 

SAN FRANCISCO, October 8, 2026 – Following ICANN’s October 7 Reveal Day for the 2026 New gTLD Program, BRS Registry is offering applicants nearly three decades of hands-on experience operating, marketing and growing a Top-Level Domain.

ICANN’s Reveal Day publication lists 1,615 new gTLD applications from 481 applicants available for public review. Analysis of ICANN’s published contention-set data identifies 263 contention sets involving 891 applications. More than half of the applications disclosed are already competing for applied-for strings.

The results make clear that success in the 2026 round will require far more than submitting an application. It will require operational readiness, a clear market position, registrar distribution, a premium-domain strategy and a sustained plan to build demand. Reveal Day gives applicants their first comprehensive view of the competitive landscape.

“There will be plenty of advice for applicants following Reveal Day,” said George T. Bundy, Chairman and CEO of BRS Media Inc. “Our perspective comes from almost 30 years of actually operating a TLD. There is a significant difference between advising on a Top-Level Domain and building, marketing and growing one over decades. That real-world operating experience is what we bring to this round.”

Since launching .FM in 1998, BRS Media has built it into a globally recognized TLD for radio, music, streaming, podcasting and digital audio. The company has developed worldwide registrar distribution, implemented premium-domain strategies and continually evolved .FM’s positioning as technology and the marketplace have changed, including its growing relevance to Audio Intelligence.

With applications now public, BRS Registry can assist applicants with Registry Service Provider evaluation, registry economics, market positioning, premium-domain strategy, marketing and long-term growth planning. The company also works with TLD operators from the 2012 round seeking to strengthen market position, increase awareness and bring new momentum to their extensions.

Applicants that designated an eligible replacement string have from October 8 through October 21, 2026, to decide whether to proceed with it. ICANN will publish the final list of applied-for strings and updated contention sets on String Confirmation Day, November 17, 2026.

“The applications have been revealed, but the real measure of this round will come years from now,” Bundy said. “Which TLDs will build recognizable brands and still be growing ten or twenty years from now? Those are the questions registry operators need to address from the beginning.”

Organizations interested in registry strategy, RSP selection and evaluation, positioning, marketing, premium domains or long-term registry growth are invited to contact BRS Registry for a consultation.

About BRS Registry

BRS Registry, a division of BRS Media Inc., brings nearly three decades of hands-on TLD experience. Since launching .FM in 1998, BRS Media has transformed a little-known country-code domain into a globally recognized, industry-specific “cult brand” associated with radio, music, streaming, podcasting, digital audio and Audio Intelligence. BRS Registry brings that real-world experience to new applicants and existing registry operators.

 

BRS Media / BRS Registry
+1.877.368.6853 (1-877-dot-nTLD)
registry@brsmedia.com\

BRS Media Submits Formal Notice to ICANN Chair on CPE Policy Integrity and Next Round Protections

BRS Media Submits Formal Notice to ICANN Chair on CPE Policy Integrity and Next Round Protections

San Francisco, CA, April 16, 2026 –  BRS Media Inc. today announced it has submitted a formal notice to Tripti Sinha, Chair of the Board of Directors of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), raising urgent concerns over the systematic abuse of the Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) process within the New gTLD Program.

In the letter, BRS Media details a recurring pattern in which applicants secure priority status by presenting narrowly defined community-based registration policies, only to later seek removal or weakening of those restrictions after delegation. The company asserts that this practice effectively converts community-based top-level domains into unrestricted commercial registries, contrary to the intent of the CPE framework.

“This submission builds upon our original correspondence to ICANN in 2014, as well as subsequent accountability proceedings, and reflects our continued concern that CPE is being used as a strategic mechanism to secure advantage in the application process”, said George T Bundy, CEO of BRS Media. “We believe this pattern raises fundamental concerns regarding fairness, transparency, and policy integrity, particularly as ICANN prepares for the 2026 New gTLD application round”

In its communication to the Board Chair, BRS Media calls for immediate safeguards, including:

  • Mandate and strictly enforce community-based registration commitments as binding obligations, with clearly defined sunset provisions to prevent post-delegation dilution or removal.
  • Formal review of any post-delegation policy changes.
  • Compliance mechanisms, including potential penalties for non-adherence.
  • Increased transparency and ongoing reporting requirements.

BRS Media urges ICANN and its Board to address these concerns prior to the opening of the 2026 round to ensure fairness, accountability, and trust in the program.

Link to Notice: ICANNTriptiSinha.pdf

About BRS Media, Inc:

Based in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) district, BRS Media Inc. is a media technology and brand innovation firm focused on empowering digital creators, broadcasters, and interactive platforms. Its portfolio includes BRS Registry, providing strategic marketing, brand development, and registry consulting for ICANN New Top-Level Domains; dotFM® and dotAM®, pioneering domain innovation for media-centric .FM and .AM brands. dotFM and dotAM are registered trademarks of BRS Media, Inc.

BRS Registry Publishes Strategic Guide for Evaluating Registry Service Providers Following ICANN RSP Applicant List Release

BRS Registry Publishes Strategic Guide for Evaluating Registry Service Providers Following ICANN RSP Applicant List Release

San Francisco, CA, February 3, 2026 – Following the publication of the official Registry Service Provider RSP applicant list by ICANN, BRS Registry, a division of BRS Media Inc., today announced the release of a new indepth blog post and evaluation framework designed to help TLD applicants make informed long term decisions when selecting a backend registry partner.

The blog post, “ICANN’s RSP Applicant List Is Out How to Evaluate the Right Registry Service Provider for Your TLD,” provides applicants with a practical, business focused approach to assessing RSPs based not only on technical compliance, but on strategic fit, operational maturity, and long term success.

“The release of the RSP applicant list is a milestone but it is only the beginning,” said George T Bundy, CEO of BRS Media. “Your Registry Service Provider becomes the operational foundation of your TLD. We have spent nearly 30 years working with RSPs in live production environments, and we have seen firsthand how the right or wrong choice can shape a TLD’s future for decades.”

Beyond Compliance Choosing the Right Long Term Partner

The BRS Registry blog emphasizes that Registry Service Providers are not interchangeable commodities. While all approved RSPs meet ICANN’s baseline technical requirements, their real world strengths vary widely depending on TLD type, business model, registrar strategy, and growth ambitions. The post also introduces a comprehensive RSP Evaluation Checklist to help applicants compare providers systematically and objectively.

Independent Guidance for the Next Application Round

Unlike Registry Service Providers, BRS Registry operates as an independent advisor, helping applicants evaluate backend partners from the perspective of an experienced registry operator not a vendor.

“We have worked with Registry Service Providers for nearly 30 years through launches, migrations, policy shifts, and market cycles,” Bundy added. “That allows us to ask the questions applicants may not yet know they need to ask.”

As interest builds toward the next ICANN application round, BRS Registry’s guidance is aimed at applicants seeking to build durable, differentiated, and future ready TLDs.

The full blog post and RSP Evaluation Checklist are now available through BRS Registry at
https://brsregistry.com/blog

About BRS Media, Inc:

 

Based in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) district, BRS Media Inc. is a media technology and brand innovation firm focused on empowering digital creators, broadcasters, and interactive platforms. Its portfolio includes BRS Registry, providing strategic marketing, brand development, and registry consulting for ICANN New Top-Level Domains; dotFM® and dotAM®, pioneering domain innovation for media-centric .FM and .AM brands; and dotRadio™ extensions .RADIO.am and .RADIO.fm, offering the radio industry a modern, purpose-driven namespace designed specifically for radio broadcasters and brands. Additional offerings include Main Street Branding™, which helps clients build world-class digital identities, and the iRadio® service platform. Main Street Branding and dotRadio are trademarks, and dotFM, dotAM, and iRadio are registered trademarks of BRS Media, Inc.

Junaid Siddiqui
BRS Media Inc.
Email jsiddiqui@brsmedia.fm
1.877.368.6853 1-877-DOT-nTLD