On Aug 17, 2022, SE Asia’s first furry news channel Global Furry Television (GFTV) marked its 8th birthday.
The past year was marked with challenges both to the furry community and GFTV. But they both emerged strong so far – hence why this year’s theme is “Connected In Unity”.
GFTV’s eighth-anniversary logo represents a diversity of views, cultures and backgrounds in this world, and how they coexist harmoniously.
Here are five takeaways from this birthday cake time.
Now officially an East-West bridge builder
This year, GFTV’s achievements relate more to its geographical position at the heart of Southeast Asia: Singapore.
Its central proximity to East-West furry communities balances out the Western-dominant furry news sources. As a bonus, the channel gets unparalleled coverage of Asian furry communities from there.
GFTV is widely regarded as the “window to the world” by its China audiences; it’s the only media channel of this type in China’s online media environment.
What’s more, its Online Communities have a very specific focus: to bring Eastern and Western furries together.
This made the channel instrumental in conveying the world – and voice – of Asian furry fandom to the Western part of the community, where often the former is misunderstood or not known at all.
One of the things is that, because the size and scope of the fandom is so broad, I don’t mind one bit about the existence of DogPatch (Press), Global Furry Television, and other such media outlets.
Only because when you look at things from a community perspective rather than a individual perspective,
you realize that community is better served when you have people working together to cover such things.
Sonious
Editor, Flayrah
The Index of Standards is the channel’s backbone
GFTV hailed its Index of Standards, the channel’s principal content policy guidebook, as its “Bible”.
It anchors the channel’s well-known neutrality, especially in the face of pressures trying to force them to betray this.
The Index is unique: it demonstrates how GFTV applies professional content creation standards – especially news ones – in a niche community setting.
This thus enables proper rules-based workings in a place where politics repeatedly were given the chance to tear apart friendships and unity.
To wrap the gift box, its rules plus its protocols are publicly available as a gesture of transparency.
Honestly, I know it’s cliche and a lot of people say stuff like this, but you deserve way more subs than you have.
Like, I like that this is a genuine, unbiased approach at news.
Commentary is good, but the community needs a channel that gives unbiased information like this, I love it.
Coyote Lovely
YouTuber
China and mobile media audiences top viewership charts
For the first time ever, GFTV presented its viewership data for Aug 2021 – Aug 2022.
Audiences from China form the majority of view count and unique visitors.
Most audiences use mobile phones (Ch. 1); specifically Android (Ch. 2) to access GFTV video content.
90% of audiences are male, and 10% are female.
For website visits, China overtook the USA on visitor geography this year.
However, the USA remains number one on visitor geography for GFTV’s podcast platform RadioFurryFandom (RFF). The platform is formerly known as GFTV PodWave.
this is a pretty underrated channel
Jinlong the Golden Dragon
To fortify is the priority
What makes this Anniversary different from others is that there are no high-reaching targets and elaborate future roadmaps.
The priority came in the form of a long-necked dinosaur.
In short: community as the root, content as the stem and trust-building as the branches and fruit.
For the year forward, GFTV aims to strengthen its communities, existing content repertoire and its commitment to its Values.
This will give the channel more headroom to stabilise first before growing any further, especially as it will soon open team intakes.
Team intakes will be the biggest ever, with eight position openings.
要不是起来上厕所估计还看不到了
GFTV China viewer
Hadn’t I woke up to go to the toilet, I’d have missed this
The community keeps the river flowing
Something has been emphasised over and over again throughout GFTV’s eighth birthday: its communities.
Its communities proved to GFTV that its neutral-first standard of news reporting is in demand.
This made and proved the channel as an alternative to the dominant Western furry media sources.
Community engagement was also key to the development of GFTV FURST, the world’s biggest furry convention index.
Across the COVID-19 pandemic, FURST was used by furry convention organisers in their decision-making processes, and today by furries to keep track of their favourite events.
Civil dialogue is the core of GFTV Online Communities since it hosts a very diverse group of participants, especially some with strong opinions.
In line with the Index of Standards, the news process is thus made not just democratic but also more peaceful.
How refreshing to see furry news that is professional and not hyperbolic.
Shadow Fox
In a diverse world with a massive diversity of backgrounds, views and colours, it is very reductive to make everything a black-and-white matter.
Unfortunately, many people and media sources – including those in the furry community – chose to merely take a stand and make anyone different from them as those who are against them.
This year’s Anniversary affirmed the Singaporean furry news channel’s commitment to be different from them. In its news, to really put facts first – and not monopolise one point-of-view above everything.
That is to foster and bring in constructive dialogue that contributes, not retributes. One that meaningfully impacts the community and the world.
I so appreciate your updates. I find your furry news to be invaluable to me.
I love the furry fandom in so many different ways, you helped to keep me engaged.
Please keep up the good work thank you.
Dan Davis
GFTV NewsHub 