TFO

'TFO' is a Canadian French language educational public television network in the province of Ontario. It is the only French-language television network in Canada which operates ''entirely'' outside of Quebec.
Formerly owned and operated by TVOntario, TFO became an independent agency of the provincial government of Ontario in 2007.
TFO is available only on cable in most areas of the province, although the network does also broadcast over the air in some communities in Eastern and Northern Ontario with significant Franco-Ontarian populations. All cable companies in Ontario are required to carry the network regardless of its local broadcast availability. TFO is also carried via satellite on Bell ExpressVu channel 137 and StarChoice channel 763.
TFO is also a partner in TV5 Canada.

Contents

History

Programming

Children's Programming

Documentary Series

Other Programming

TFO transmitters

References

External links

History

TFO launched in 1987 as 'La Chaîne Française', and was rebranded as TFO (short for Télé-Française d'Ontario) in 1994.
Prior to the launch of La Chaîne, TVO broadcast in French on Sundays from noon until sign-off. For the first several years of La Chaîne's operations, this continued and La Chaîne broadcast in English during the same time block, because TFO was only available on cable and the government wanted to ensure that Franco-Ontarian viewers without cable still had access to a block of French-language programming. As transmitters were added in a variety of French-speaking communities, the practice was eventually discontinued.
TFO is also available to cable viewers in New Brunswick, as the government of New Brunswick does not have the financial resources to offer its own French-language public television network. Consequently, all program announcements on TFO provide airtimes for both Ontario and Acadia. TFO has also applied to the CRTC for mandatory cable carriage in Quebec, but was refused because Quebec already has a similar service, Télé-Québec. However, some cable companies in Quebec do offer TFO at their own discretion.
As part of a restructuring of TVOntario announced by the McGuinty government on June 29, 2006, TFO is to be taken over by a new, separate provincial Crown corporation, the Ontario French-Language Educational Communications Authority (''Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l’Ontario'' or ''OTÉLFO'')^[1], with separate management and its own budget. McGuinty Government Transforms TVOntario Although the licence transfer was not officially approved by the CRTC until June 28, 2007, TFO nonetheless announced its autonomy from TVOntario effective April 1, 2007.^[2]
The network's first independent chair is Gisèle Chrétien.

Programming

Current programs include a range of children's programming, documentaries, and films. Due to the limited commercial media service available to Franco-Ontarians, TFO has also occasionally invested in drama and comedy programming.

Children's Programming

A partial list of the children's programs includes:

★ French versions of animated children’s series such as ''Arthur'', ''Franklin'' (as ''Benjamin''), ''Timothy Goes To School'' and ''The Magic School Bus''.

★ ''Bon appétit les enfants'' (the title means “Have a good meal, kids”) is a show about food and eating customs around the world.

★ ''C’est pas sorcier'' (the title means “It’s not magic”) is a series about two children who travel the world to learn about science. Each show depicts simple activities and observations that enable children to learn about a major scientific theory.

★ ''École est finie (L’)'' (the title means “School's Out”) shows what activities children around the world do after school, such as games, sports, chores, family activities, and individual activities.

★ ''Coups de génies'' (the title means “Genius’ Ideas”) is about two students that have special superpowers that allow them to become scientific geniuses.

★ ''Montre-moi ton école'' (the title means “Show me your school”) is a series that takes a world tour of different schools, with 26 children leading a tour of their local schools.

Documentary Series

Documentary programs and series include:

★ ''Sciences et nature'' (“Science and Nature”) is a documentary series that demystifies the world around us and presents new discoveries. Specific documentaries have featured topics such as wolves and bison.

★ ''Sciences humaines'' (“Life sciences”) is a documentary series that looks at various aspects of human life and experience, such as laughter, pain, crying, sleep, breathing, death, etc.

Other Programming

Other programs that have aired on TFO include:

★ ''Francoeur'' (the first franco-Ontarian téléroman)

★ ''Panorama''

★ ''Volt''

★ ''Méga TFO''
The network has also announced that it will air the first franco-Ontarian sitcom, ''Météo Plus'', in 2008.

TFO transmitters

All of the station's broadcast transmitters have the call sign 'CHLF', followed by a number to denote their status as rebroadcasters. The network's first broadcast transmitter was added in Sudbury in 1989. The Sudbury transmitter is the network's most powerful, and is ''numbered'' as the primary transmitter, although for CRTC purposes the transmitter CHLF-2 in Hawkesbury is listed as the primary station, presumably because this transmitter reaches into the Montreal television market (though just barely).
Besides Sudbury, Hawkesbury and Pembroke, all other communities that receive TFO on the regular airwaves are isolated communities in Northern Ontario, many of which also receive the Ontario Parliament Network over the regular airwaves as well.
In addition to local cable services, TFO is available across Canada on Bell ExpressVu channel 137, Star Choice channel 736 and Look TV channel 72.
As part of the transfer of TFO to its own management, the transmitters in Sultan, Oba and Jogues will be taken out of service. [1]

Location	Call-sign	Channel	Power (kW)	Notes
Hawkesbury	CHLF-TV-2	39	10	Put into service on March 1, 1989
Greater Sudbury	CHLF-TV-1	25	282.5	First transmitter, launched January 1, 1987
Evanturel Township	CHLF-TV-3	22	0.02	Near Englehart, Ontario
Harris Township	CHLF-TV-4	16	0.02
Hawk Junction	CHLF-TV-5	19	0.02
Lac-Sainte-Thérèse	CHLF-TV-6	32	0.02
New Osnaburgh	CHLF-TV-7	20	0.02
Sultan	CHLF-TV-8	28	0.02	discontinued in 2007
Brethour	CHLF-TV-9	26	0.02
Greenstone (Longlac)	CHLF-TV-10	17	0.04
Oba	CHLF-TV-11	17	0.02	discontinued in 2007
Summer Beaver	CHLF-TV-12	11	0.005
Pembroke	CHLF-TV-13	17	113.8
Kirby's Corner	CHLF-TV-14	51	0.04
Kaboni	CHLF-TV-15	28	0.04
Val Rita	CHLF-TV-16	28	0.02
Jogues	CHLF-TV-17	22	0.02	discontinued in 2007
Greenstone (Nakina)	CHLF-TV-18	9	0.01

References

1. TFO press release, April 23, 2007
2. TFO press release, March 23, 2007

External links

★ Official site

★ Ontario Educational Communications Authority

★ TVOntario restructuring