Our History

Groupe Média TFO celebrates the milestone of more than one billion views across its YouTube channels, confirming its role as a leader in digital learning and a major player in the global distribution of French-language content on the Web. To mark this pivotal moment, Groupe Média TFO launched the “Proudly Educational, Proudly Francophone” campaign alongside the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs.

Groupe Média TFO continues its digital transformation, hitting 1 billion views across its channel network on YouTube.

Éric Minoli is appointed Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Média TFO.

Glenn O'Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Média TFO, steps down.

The Créatech project, winner of the first Tablettistes Grant, is inaugurated at Maurice-Lapointe Elementary and High School (CÉPÉO). It is a space for technological creation, a digital workshop with a do-it-yourself area, designed and implemented by students Nour, Simon, Eleyna, Emma and Joshua, under the supervision of their teachers Camille Boudreau and Alexandre Audet.

May Glenn O'Farrell, President of Groupe Média TFO, gives a speech at the symposium on the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act (OLA) in Ottawa.

TFO Creations explode in China, climbing to 8 million views in just two months for the Chansons traditionnelles and Toopati series.

ONFR+ is the new reference and influence column dedicated to the Franco-Ontarian community and its huge diversity. ONFR+ has carved its own path as a swift and immediate model of information, exploring issues that unite the Franco-Ontarian community, by moving to a single platform that gives Francophones a stronger voice.

Through its new application, Boukili Audio, Canadian digital learning expert Groupe Média TFO creates a new Google Assistant experience for Canadian families. Boukili Audio offers a collection of over 120 audio books to help learning in French for 4 to 8 year olds.

Groupe Média TFO publishes its first white paper, titled “An Emergency for the World of Education: Adapting to the Digital Revolution”.

TFO publishes its strategic plan: Digital, Educational, Francophone

IDÉLLO becomes the 1st educational platform in Canada with more than 10 000 resources in French and over 31 000 teachers who have subscribed

Vubble and TFO join forces to increase the offer of educational content available on IDÉLLO

Boukili, TFO’s reading application, surpasses 90 000 downloads

Mini TFO receives its 2nd YouTube Silver Button

TFO is looking for the next generation of Francophone music artists and YouTubeurs living in minority communities

TFO becomes the leading provider of educational content in French on PBS Learning Media

Le Rêve de Champlain is broadcast in Italy and Spain

Groupe Média TFO enters strategic agreement with Qwant Junior in France to strengthen online privacy and security for Canadian families

MaXi: a new smart series for children on the subject of climate change

TFO’s YouTube channels surpass 250 million views (as of July 1, 2016)

TFO’s content becomes available on Air Canada, VIA Rail Canada and Air Transat

International distribution to the United States (Louisiana Public Broadcasting)

TFO’s 10 YouTube channels reach 65 million views

YouTube/MiniTFO: Canada’s number 1 Francophone educational channel

The Mini TFO production for preschoolers becomes available on the YouTube Kids digital application

The 400th anniversary of French presence in Ontario: Champlain’s Dream, the docufiction series and its complementary media properties

With over 700 positive comments received from the public, the CRTC renews TFO’s broadcasting licence for another seven years

Increase of in-house multiplatform content production by 220%

TFO is ranked second in the world at the prestigious IBC Innovation Awards

Launch of the Technology and Optimization Department

Launch of the Development and Innovation Department

TFO Éducation provides access to over 5 000 multimedia resources in French

First edition of Les Tablettistes, a visionary bilingual conference on the challenges facing education in the 21st century

Launch of EduLulu, the first service to have educational professionals evaluate applications

Flexible work environment: new collective agreement (from single to multiple functions per position)

New operations model based on performance measurement indicators

New educational content and products

Coordination of social media to foster internal and audience engagement

Partnership with ORION to distribute content to schools 100 times faster

YouTube/Mini TFO reaches a million views

Groupe Média TFO launches the Les Bleus de Ramville dramatic series.

Joint launch of the new branding and the new website of Groupe Média TFO.

Announcement of the new collaborative agreement between Groupe Média TFO and Montreal’s Festival international du film sur l'art (FIFA).

TFO’s TV signal is available in standard definition in Quebec.

Launch of the first Twittérature contest by Groupe Média TFO.

Record year for nominations by Groupe Média TFO for Prix Gémeaux and at the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.

TFO launches Club TFO.

TFO and the NFB enter into a partnership to promote production and broadcasting on digital markets.

TFO launches the Je-Ne-Sais-Quoi Télé publicity campaign.

Groupe Média TFO enters the world of apps.

Groupe Média TFO and Swedish public broadcaster UR sign an agreement making official their partnership in public educational media.

Organization, by TFO, of the first ever live electoral debate in French: a great moment of television political debating.

Groupe Média TFO is now connected to the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION), allowing the data from TFO computer servers to migrate to Radiant Communications’ cloud computing system.

Launch of a new summer show, Sur la route.

Launch of a new current affairs show on TFO, RelieF.

TFO launches ibou.ca, an educational resource search engine for French Ontario, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Mr. Glenn O'Farrell is named President and CEO of the OTÉLFO.

TFO becomes Groupe Média TFO.

Launch of Groupe Média TFO’s YouTube channel.

Launch of the first edition of the TFO Teaching Award.

Great party for the official opening. Anyone who’s anyone in Ontario attends!

From Orléans to Mississauga, by way of North Bay, TFO presents the Mini spectacle, the very first tour by the MiniTFO duo of Dino and Marianne.

Moitié moitié, the first Franco-Ontarian dramatic series for young viewers, is launched on TFO.

Volt tour in Ontario: Sturgeon Falls, Alfred-Plantagenet, L’Orignal…

Claude Sauvé becomes Director of Programming at TFO.

TFO broadcasts Météo +, a dramedy produced in Sudbury.

TFO is a partner for three fundraisers for the Fondation franco-ontarienne (FFO).

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario adopts Bill 55, which makes TFO an entirely independent channel. This law marks the realization of a dream of the Franco-Ontarian community and is a sign of the provincial government’s commitment towards the Francophonie.

The Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l’Ontario (OTÉLFO) (Ontario French-Language Educational Communications Authority). The OTÉLFO has its own Board of Directors and operates the TFO television channel.

Claudette Paquin becomes the very first CEO of the OTÉLFO.

The hosts of the popular Mégallô show go on tour in Eastern Ontario schools.

PANORAMA and Volt can now be viewed online, and the day following their broadcast, on the tfo.org website.

Volt fans can also download their favourite episodes on their portable multimedia device or their PC.

Francœur 4 – End of the saga.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) uses a story taken from the Mirouille raconte series produced by TFO to evaluate students’ reading skills.

TFO produces Voyageurs, a documentary presenting an historical recreation of the life of Voyageurs, as well as the beginnings of the Métis nation.

Coproduction with TVA and broadcast of the Destination Nor’Ouest series, a contemporary adventure in which 8 participants go on a 2,500 km canoe expedition, from Montreal to Winnipeg.

The SOS Devoirs services, accessible from the tfo.org website, are extended to British-Columbia, the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Produced by TFO, the Les vrais Pays-d’en-Haut series recounts 400 years of French presence in Ontario.

Launch of MiniTFO, a series of interprogram clips for preschoolers.

PANORAMA produces a report on the 30th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag.

TFO launches Échos, a series of 20 historical vignettes on Ontario.

MégaTFO produces Appartement 611, a series where various human, social, cultural and historical issues are dealt with in a humourous way.

Jacqueline Pelletier hosts Rendez-vous de TFO, an interactive forum focusing on the Couchiching experience, the Francœur dramatic series and the African film Paris selon Moussa.

Francœur 2 – New storylines and new characters.

Launch of the Le grenier de Bisou website and of resources for parents and teachers.

PANORAMA produces two documentaries on Franco-Ontarian personalities: Conrad Lavigne in Tours de force; and Jean-Robert Gauthier in Là où le nombre le justifie.

TFO launches its new season on the air from Sudbury’s Boréal College and announces the opening of a new office for Panorama in Sudbury.

Production and broadcast of Villages et visages, new version. A TFO cult series that follows the evolution of Francophone towns and villages in Ontario.

TFO produces La guerre de Corée, a series dealing with Canada’s contribution to the Korean War.

Coproduction of the Paul et Suzanne children’s series with Productions Rivard.

Francœur is broadcast on TFO.

Coproduction by TFO of Francœur, the first large-scale Canadian dramatic series, in French, created outside of Quebec.

TFO produces Sortie de secours, a series of vignettes starring Franco-Ontarian poets.

Broadcast of the Les multiples visages de l’anxiété series, focusing on the issue of anxiety disorders in Canadian society.

TFO’s Educational services develop a new project to prepare children for their first year of school. This kit is distributed to 8,000 parents.

Méga TFO produces Fou d’art, a series that aims to introduce various arts and the jobs that go with them to children.

One Friday per month, PANORAMA dedicates one show to arts and culture.

An agreement is signed: AOL Canada and Sympatico-Lycos for Îlot-TFO.

Movies are now broadcast every night on TFO.

With more than 4,000 shows in stock, TFO has become the preferred partner channel of teachers: 53% of French-language elementary and secondary teachers in Ontario regularly use TFO shows in class; more than 2,000 Francophone teachers have participated in training workshops.

TFO broadcasts Le château magique, a series for children, focusing on ballet, mime, and music.

TFO broadcasts Science point com, a Franco-Ontarian production in which two youngsters discover science while preparing their school radio show.

TFO broadcasts Papi et Gamin, the follow-up to the very popular Papi Bonheur children’s TV series.

Launch of the L’îlot TFO website which offers games and information to parents and children.

TFO coproduces educational multimedia projects with large Canadian businesses such as Enzyme and Micro-Intel (Quebecor).

TFO launches Ô Zone – a cultural magazine produced by Thérèse Pinho – a reflection on Canadian culture and its future.

TFO sponsors and broadcasts the opening ceremony of Collège Boréal.

Over two years, La Cinquième, France’s public educational television broadcaster, buys a million dollars worth of TFO shows.

The CRTC approves TFO’s request to broadcast its signal in New-Brunswick, where the channel becomes available in 180,000 homes.

Pierre Granger joins Gisèle Quenneville to co-host PANORAMA.

TFO decides to offer its signal to Francophone communities outside of Ontario.

Gisèle Quenneville joins the PANORAMA team as host.

TFO launches the Méga TFO block of children’s programming.

TFO produces a new series, Déclic! le magazine, which deals with current issues.

TFO presents Le grand soir, a series of special shows hosted by Jacqueline Pelletier and consisting of a film or documentary followed by a panel discussion.

TFO launches Bisou, an educational show for preschoolers.

With its advisory consultants, TFO participates in numerous events in the Francophone community, giving it many opportunities to meet the public.

The “switched Sundays” policy is cancelled.

TFO launches Cinécure, a magazine on cinema news hosted by Marie Turgeon.

Launch of Volt, an intelligent, dynamic and irreverent show dealing with issues relevant for Ontario Francophone youth.

Rachel Huneault, teacher at École Ste-Marguerite-d’Youville in Verner, and one of the best teachers in Ontario, represents Canada in the documentary series Enseignants du monde/Teachers of the World, an international coproduction in which La Chaîne is involved.

The PANORAMA team welcomes journalist Adrien Cantin as producer and series host.

La Chaîne presents its third annual telethon.

Four hours per week, on Wednesday and Friday, a new cultural and public-affairs hit show, PANORAMA, gives Franco-Ontarians the opportunity to participate in live discussions on social, economic, cultural and current-affairs issues. Its motto is Chez nous, c’est chez vous!

Opening of the Ottawa offices. Through an agreement with La Cité collégiale, the College offers studio space in exchange for access to TVOntario’s mobile production unit for student training.

La Chaîne broadcasts La cabane des rêves, a series of show for students aged 9 to 12, designed to encourage a love of reading in children.

La Chaîne presents its second annual telethon.

A production mobile unit, with all the necessary equipment to produce shows in remote regions, will be used to create shows in the province’s Francophone communities.

La Chaîne gets its own studio, Studio F, and presents its first annual telethon.

La Chaîne coproduces Le match d’impro, a series that gives Franco-Ontarian teams the opportunity to compete in improv.

La Chaîne participates in the Festival jeunesse, which celebrates the cultural vitality of Franco-Ontarian youth.

Le grand gala de la fierté francophone 1991 – a successful event starring Franco-Ontarian personalities from various sectors – is organized and broadcast by La Chaîne.

Creation of the Youth sector to better serve youth aged 16 to 18 and fight assimilation.

The school-level section of the Championnats du monde d’orthographe is organized in French-language and French-immersion schools in Ontario.

During the year, Show Use Officers facilitate 248 workshops to which 3,800 teachers participate.

The Paroles ontariennes and A comme artiste series, produced by La Chaîne, are now broadcast Canada-wide every week on the TV5 channel.

The first transmitter is installed in Sudbury. However, the CRTC is considering the Hawkesbury one as the main transmitter, as it covers the Montréal region. A 3rd transmitter is installed in Pembroke.

Jacques Bensimon becomes Chief Executive Officer of La Chaîne.

The show Le lys et le trillium, a public-affairs forum, is now broadcast live each week on the French channel.

La Chaîne produce Picoli et Lirabo, an educational series designed to encourage reading by young children.

La Chaîne broadcast day is extended; broadcasting now begins at 9:30 am, rather than at 2 pm.

On-air time goes from 4,567 hours to 5,620 yearly.

La Chaîne presents La Nuit sur l’étang in Sudbury, one of the most important French-language cultural events in Ontario.

To ensure that Franco-Ontarians without cable can still see La Chaîne programming on TVO, the “switched Sundays” policy is implemented.

The number of hours of broadcast goes from 26.8 hours a week in 1986-1987 to 70.6 hours a week in 1987-1988.

The OTEO now has a full-fledged television channel called TVOntario. A recommendation of the Advisory Council on Francophone Affairs leads to the creation of the French-language Services Division, that will be responsible for 17 % of the programming on the TVO schedule.Production and broadcast of the Villages et visages series, which showcases Ontario through people’s everyday life.

Donald Duprey becomes General Manager of French Programming Services. TVO’s French-language flagship shows: Le lys et le trillium, Les Ontariens, Lapierre à la une, L’échiquier politique.

The provincial Ministry of Civic and Cultural Affairs and the federal Ministry of Communications announce their intention of jointly financing an entirely French-language channel at TVOntario.

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Communications Canada approve the creation of a French-language television channel in Ontario to be run by TVOntario.

Presentation of a license request to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission).

The French arm of TVOntario is granted a license by the CRTC, under the name La Chaîne.