Public Broadcaster Groupe Média TFO poised to grow reach of media content in Canada and abroad

Strategic plan optimistic and forward-thinking despite challenging media landscape

TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - As Canadian media organizations grapple with the realities and recommendations shared in last week's Public Policy Forum report, Groupe Média TFO, Canada's go-to resource for audiences seeking innovative French educational and cultural content, has released a confident vision for the role the public media company can play in strengthening French nationally while continuing to enhance its role as a digital leader both in Canada and abroad.

The release of the strategic plan, which coincides with the Prime Time conference in Ottawa, prompts a discussion of the educative role of media in Canada and reaffirms GMTFO's commitment to moving French educational content forward in the digital world. Initially created as a television station serving Franco-Ontarians, Groupe Média TFO has transformed itself into the leading digital content producer, an aggregator and international multiplatform distributor for a new generation. 

"Public broadcasting in Canada is playing catch up. The need for a digital shift among public broadcasters has been absent from any discussion until now," said Glenn O' Farrell, President and CEO of TFO Media Groupe. "Today's plan highlights the ambitious agenda we have to be a leading educational, digital French force in Canada and globally."

Key components of the plan include:

Digital Direction: 

From operating the number one French YouTube channel in Canada to developing LUV, the country's first virtual television studio, Groupe Média TFO has put digital at the forefront of its agenda for the past decade, reinventing itself with bold projects to promote French education and develop content.  Television is now just one asset in a suite of offerings focused on education, culture and the French language. The strategic plan highlights the company's ambition to lead in digital and places a new emphasis on the delivery of premium learning content for mobile platforms.

Bolstering Bilingualism: 

As Canada celebrates its 150^th year, the appetite to renew the country's commitment to bilingualism is there with over 80 per cent of Canadians identifying the anniversary as an opportunity to strengthen the two official languages in Canada.¹ Today's new plan outlines the crucial role Groupe Média TFO can continue to play in building a sustainable future for Canada's Francophone community and expanding bilingualism across the country with a call to include its educational content and resources in schools nationwide.

Content that Crosses Borders:

Groupe Média TFO continues to earn international praise and recognition for its content with 2016 being a pivotal year for partnerships with both PBS Learning Media and Louisiana Public Broadcasting. While other media outlets turn inward, Groupe Media TFO is expanding its vision to include exporting successful products globally as well as international collaborations.

To read the strategic plan in more detail, please visit: Groupe Média Digital, Educational, Francophone

Groupe Média TFO is a premium destination for audiences seeking educational and cultural content in French. It offers stimulating experiences and award-winning content, always at the forefront of digital learning. TFO serves 2 million students and 30,000 teachers across Ontario and Canada. It operates the number one French-language YouTube Channel in Canada. TFO has received awards and accolades from Austin and Amsterdam (Kidscreen Awards, Gémeaux, Cassies, IBC Awards, SXSW Film Design Awards and more)

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¹ National survey conducted by Nielsen for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, from February to March 2016.

SOURCE Groupe Média TFO