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June 28, 2020 9:47 pm  #1


How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

I'm not quite sure how Bell Media let this one get away, but they apparently did. Or maybe they no longer care. There's a website I accidentally stumbled on called 1050chum.com. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with the radio station either past or present. Exactly what it is about I'll leave it to those here to try and figure out. Because frankly, I can't.

Its "about us" page does little to solve the mystery. Whois.com indicates that it was first registered in Jan. 2019, so it's been around for over a year. 

I got a kick out of the domain page telling me what other names are available, including 1050chum.net, my1050chum.com and of course my favourite, the baffling "golf1050chum.com." Grab it while you can.

I wonder if Bell cares that this iconic address is now in someone else's hands. 

1050chum.com 

 

June 28, 2020 10:33 pm  #2


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

There is a possibility that Bell actually has something to do with this site, even though you will never see any reference to them anywhere.  They may have this "fake" site to tie up the name and domain.  I don't know if this is for a legal reason, or they may be playing it safe, but there is a possibility.

A company I worked for years ago set up a website for a newspaper that went out of business five years prior. Minimal content was updated from time to time but the the site was there only to keep anyone or another company from setting up anything with the same name. They were also concerned that someone would try to tie a new website in with the former company somehow.  Sort of like we are back now after five years etc. or alluding that there is some sort of common history.

I may be wrong but there is a chance that Bell or subsidiary has something to do with what you stumbled upon.  Very strange it is so vague as to what the whole  website is about or what they do. Stating that other names are available may just to see if any other media is interested in the name, sort of fishing for info.  It would be interesting to see if there is anything to this.  

Last edited by paterson1 (June 28, 2020 10:38 pm)

 

June 28, 2020 10:49 pm  #3


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

RadioActive wrote:

I wonder if Bell cares that this iconic address is now in someone else's hands.

Probably not. I suspect Bell stopped caring a long time ago, given the unceremonious way they switched the station over to CP24 Radio 1050 over 11 years ago (under CTVglobemedia).

I have to admit I was actually kind of surprised that CKOC was given a proper sendoff when they switched to TSN Radio five years ago (or as much of a proper sendoff as one could expect).

There is a rather interesting article on the site explaining how music affects plants and animals, though. Looks like it's worth a read.  


PJ


 

Last edited by Paul Jeffries (June 28, 2020 10:50 pm)


ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!
 

June 29, 2020 12:43 am  #4


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

paterson1 wrote:

There is a possibility that Bell actually has something to do with this site, even though you will never see any reference to them anywhere.  They may have this "fake" site to tie up the name and domain.  I don't know if this is for a legal reason, or they may be playing it safe, but there is a possibility.  

I doubt that's the case but anything's possible, I suppose. Why wouldn't Bell just buy the domain and not use it? That's fairly common practice. There would be no reason to publish or update anything and it still wouldn't be available to anyone else. This looks like someone is adding to it at least occasionally and I can't imagine why Bell would spend a single cent on it if they ran the site.

     Thread Starter
 

June 29, 2020 3:56 am  #5


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

The words "Ghost writer" come to mind here. 
I know nothing about how much it costs to pay for each domain, but if Bell really did have anything to do with this, they most likely would have splurged to repeat the same content on more than just one domain...especially the most obvious ones, like .net and .FM  

How long would a 1050chum.fm last if the website were there for the purpose of trashing TSN? 
What if that, or 1050.chum.net took us to a page that reads (In big bold letters) " TSN SUX!!!"

Is THAT what it takes for Bell to actually care?


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

June 29, 2020 7:28 am  #6


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

The average retail price of a .com domain is around US$8.95/year.  That's it.  If you set up your own registry and buy in bulk, (like, 100s of them) it's much cheaper.  The "owner" of a domain can do what they want with it, including selling it at whatever price they want.

Once a domain name expires, the owner has a 30 day grace period to renew it before it becomes available, otherwise, it's available to anyone.  There are a number of domain "squatters" that buy expired domains in the hopes they can cash in when the original owner, realizing that they've let the domain lapse, tries to reclaim the domain.
 

 

June 29, 2020 8:19 am  #7


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

Don't forget, Doug Thompson keeps the flame burning at chumtribute.com.

http://chumtribute.com


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

June 29, 2020 9:37 am  #8


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

I know it is a stretch and I am probably wrong, but it does happen where a site is put up only to block out anyone from creating a new one that has no connection to the original.  Why Bell wouldn't go the easier way and just buy the domain, I have no idea.  Years ago Google lost it's domain to an individual and was forced to buy it back for $12,000.

Having said that, the new 1050.chum.com is odd since I don't see how they make any money on it.  The articles are generic and mostly short and lack much detail. And the whole purpose of the website is vague, so to me at least, it is a bit suspect. 

Does anyone know if the official call letters for the station are still chum or is TSN 1050 legal?  Most stations when they change the on air name still keep the original call letters, even though they are only used for official ID's.

 

 

June 29, 2020 10:18 am  #9


Re: How Did Bell Media Let "1050chum.com" Go To Someone Else On The Web?

Don't listen often (if at all and the ratings show I'm not alone!) but at the top of the hour, they still ID themselves as CHUM Toronto. There's no way they'd give up those great letters regardless of the format.

     Thread Starter