A lot of .TV news flying around.
07|21|2008 1:29 pm EDT
Expiring .TV Call Letter Domain Names Not So “Highly-Prized”
by Chad Kettner in Categories: Alternate Extensions
While Andy Purdy called the auctions of the 4-letter .tv domains that use the call letters of U.S. TV stations “highly-prized”, it seems that his speculation was a bit of hype.
On Friday of last week, Purdy posted a report on his website explaining that a Florida resident had let 285 4-letter .tv domain names expire - many of which represented successful broadcast stations across the United States - and the impending public auction between July 19-23 would be a great opportunity for anybody looking to grab these “highly-prized” TV domains.
Purdy, who served as the Acting Director of the National Cyber Security Division for Homeland Security for two years, believed that “releasing the domains to anonymous bidders around the world may have a serious impact on how American broadcasters maintain their online identity, particularly in light of the upcoming switch to digital broadcast.”
After one day of auctions, however, it seems not many domainers or broadcasters agreed on these being valuable domain names to acquire.
Saturday’s auction results have revealed the following closing prices:
KATC.TV Lafayette, LA ABC - $28
KATU.TV Portland, OR ABC - 23 Fisher Communications - $15
KATV.TV Little Rock, AR ABC - 57 Allbritton Communications Company - $72
KBSD.TV Dodge City, KS CBS - $10
KCAU.TV Sioux City, IA ABC - $10
KCEN.TV Waco, TX NBC - 95 Frank W. Mayborn - $20
KCIT.TV Amarillo, TX FOX - $10
KAAL.TV Austin/Rochester, MN ABC - $10
KAMC.TV Lubbock, TX ABC - $26
KAMR.TV Amarillo, TX NBC - $10
KARK.TV Little Rock, AR NBC - 57 Nexstar Broadcasting Group - $21
By scanning through the complete list of domain auctions, including Sunday and Mondays current results which continued at a similar rate, it’s evident that there was not as much interest as Purdy had anticipated.
The fact is that the .tv extension, although relevant to the industry, is still second choice for these broadcast stations and therefore limited in value.
Most broadcast stations have already developed .com websites to maintain their online identity and simply have no need for the less popular .tv domain name. And in this case, when there is only one possible end user that has already decided to go with a more common extension, the domain becomes virtually useless. The .tv extension also has lost popularity likely because of higher renewal costs and potential additional fees that the registry places on “premium” .tv domains.
However, if there is any value to be had, it is most likely in the 4-letter domains with acronyms that can be used for other applications - not just radio or TV stations. If any of these makes sense with the .tv TLD, then it has additional value because it has a larger pool of possible end users.
Another issue with buying domains at TDNAM is that Godaddy’s rules allow for an expired domain name to still be renewed by the former owner up to 7 days after the auction ends. The owner of these .tv domains could still renew these domain names even after the auction has ended. There is the potential for a domain investor or a TV station to purchase one of these domain names and have the name reclaimed by the former owner.
If you want to invest in this type of domain name, you can find more information at AndyPurdy.com or inquire in the comments section. Bidding for the domains is ongoing at Godaddy’s TDNAM.com site.
Source:
http://www.domainnamenews.com/alter.../1750#more-1750
Best,
A
