closed HTVnews.com and HTVnews.co.uk

[j8jweb]

First, take a look at the website www.htvnews.com. Currently what you see is my new domain name as the frameset with an invisible top frame. I have set the source of the main frame to go to the news section of the HTV website.

HTV is a regional TV operator covering about 30% of mainland Britain, including the area in which I live. Every day HTV News follows the national news. In fact, I just noticed the main banner on the site actually says 'The ITV station for the West of England - Home of HTV News'.

I couldn't believe it when I saw both HTVNews.com and HTVNews.co.uk on dropped domains lists yesterday. I wonder who they belonged to before. Perhaps HTV.com, the home of Ricardo Arjona (some foreign popstar)?

I think the guys at HTV would want the names (I mean, I might well have saved someone from misusing them in some extreme way), but the question is ...can I sell them? (maybe some TM issues etc?) ...and how much for?

Any ideas/feedback greatly appreciated!

 

[DrWho]

Nice redirect...

 

[unclewilco]

what about a HTV wales link as well in that frameset!!!!

http://www.htvwales.com/news/

but aren't they being rebranded as ITV1wales, ITV1 West etc etc

 

[revsorg]

Have you got a particular dropped .co.uk domains list that you use j8jweb?

 

[j8jweb]

No, I don't have a dropped .co.uk list, but often you find that .co.uk's drop at the same time as .coms, because people in the UK bought both extensions at the same time when they were originally registered.

This way, you might miss a good .com, but the .co.uk could be there for the taking, particularly if the guy who bought the .com is based in the US.

I bought these names last month, and am currently position 11 on Google out of 25,500 competing sites, or 1480 if quotes are used.

HTV West said they weren't interested, and were quite rude on the phone. However, when I suggested they could have the names for free, they jumped at the chance, and eagerly apologised. So, I've decided to keep them for the time being, unless I can sell them to HTV Wales.

It is true that they have already rebranded to ITV1 West and ITV1 Wales, but HTV News is still on TV every day - I get about 10 hits a day which are obviously very targeted. I could pretty easily use these names for self-publicity, or maybe charge people to put their banners in the top frame.

The mind boggles!

 

[unclewilco]

they are both owned by carlton,

who would probably have more switch on people than the regions. and lawyers!.

http://www2.carlton.com/corporate/carlton_regions/

good luck

wilco