Down our roots we go, we originally started off as a news website named The Maritime Link by HNBC Singapore.
It is operated by the Henrusian News Broadcasting Corporation (HNBC) in 2014, wholly managed by Pawsry (present-day Project Head of GFTV), who by then was yet a furry.
It covered current affairs and entertainment by gathering articles from other public news sources.
HNBC also published videos covering major events in Singapore through various programmes such as globalNEWS and News at 7, along with some event live streaming through globaINEWS LIVE.
Big names, small projects, yet a rapidly flourishing tree. As of 2016, the platform got nearly a thousand visitors to the site, with audiences across all major continents.
The toppling of the tree, not a choice
On 16th August 2017, HNBC merged with HRSMA Media Publicity Service (HRSMA MPS), the broadcasting wing of a Singapore-based mascot and furry-oriented nonprofit fandom association, the Henrusian Mascot Association (HRSMA, also headed by Pawsry).
The HRSMA-HNBC Media Publicity Service (HRSMA-HNBC MPS) is formed, after HNBC deleted their website The Maritime Link, citing a potentially serious problem arising from a lack of source citation.
The platform’s hundreds, if not thousands of audiences had to watch the utter demise of the site that had so much potential.
The merger was confirmed as HNBC couldn’t be sustained for long due to a massive loss of resources.
Archive of HNBC collaterals and programmes
A sudden turn, for the furry
On 1st October 2017, HRSMA MPS rebranded into HRSMA TV. This came as HRSMA emphasised more on using online platforms to promote the mascot fandom and connect global mascot fans together.
However, from September 2018 onwards, the channel started to cover the furry fandom; HRSMA shifted focus towards it after Pawsry became a furry in August 2018.
Since then, HRSMA TV publishes its iconic furry-oriented series HRSMA FurryTalks (present-day The Pawsry Show) on a weekly basis which covers various furry topics, from culture to some furry news as well. It was hosted by Pawsry.
An eye for the future
On 9th November 2018, HRSMA TV rebranded into the International Furry Broadcasting Service (IFBS), sporting a brand-new logo and slogan.
More programmes were introduced; HRSMA FurryTalks became The Furry Show on 22nd December, and The Furry Report (now GFTV News) was launched, drastically growing its content repertoire.
The IFBS was a full-on petri dish for many experimental projects. They come in the form of concepts simulating things the channel wants to create.
From radio (GFTV FurWave) to a news-focused vision (GFTV Newsday) and the largest of all, the Mass Broadcast, a 2-hour-long concept video showing how an IFBS furry TV broadcast would look like.
The IFBS ceased to broadcast on 9th February 2019 as the IFBS is engaged in merger discussions with an America-based furry radio station.
However, after the other party withdrew their intention to partner or merge with the IFBS on 12th February 2019, the IFBS reformed and rebranded once again.
It’s now Global Furry Television (GFTV).
Growing past the storm, advancing forward
As the GFTV continued to grow anew, it first established 5 programmes, laying out a foundation for content development – from news to event coverage and infotainment.
As part of an initiative to linguistically reach more furries, GFTV’s first Chinese channel was born.
Known as Channel 2 China, it went viral within the Chinese furry community during its first few days of operation, earning GFTV its biggest audience base until now.
“That was really sort of a, “undeserved” thing for the channel, to me too, because the channel is not so established by then, and yet people want to see it and had so much hopes for it.”
-Project Head Pawsry
No longer a journey alone
For 4 years, it has always been a one-man operation. Though the channel and its audience grew a lot, it felt somehow empty.
Foreseeing GFTV’s potential on furry news, they opened its very first staff position openings around May 2019.
The response was unexpected. Furries from across the Americas, Europe and Asia joined our team.
As of 2023, there are 13 furries across five countries at GFTV. Now the channel is a family.
When politics rain hell on us, we press on
GFTV’s growth came at a time when the world is transitioning. Divisions come and go.
Furries are getting torn by politics and tribalism. As furries call for better dialogue and apoliticism to close up divisions, there are those who reject it.
These detractors aim to spread their political views and make anyone an enemy under a black-and-white context over a diverse community … using free speech as justification.
People want facts. Only facts. We made sure we showed them while rejecting those who want us to “safely dispose of” views contrary to their own agenda. This soon became our mantra.
We fiercely stood by our facts-first mantra – no matter how many times people, even popular figures, tried to pressure us to do otherwise.
We became a bridge by accident
Seeping into furry fandom was also a longstanding Western-centric worldview. That is powered by longstanding popular furry websites – they are all Western.
Is there ever an Asian voice in this dialogue table?
Here at our seat in Asia, we found a bridge: us.
We straddle between the Asian and Western communities.
We are China’s first-ever SE-Asian furry news channel.
And just so happens, we became the world’s first-ever bilingual furry news channel.
Don’t talk labels. GFTV now fosters communities from both the East and West, bringing these sides closer together.
China’s furry fandom relies on us for global furry fandom news.
Above all, our presence means we are balancing out, geographically, furry news sources worldwide.
Our responsibility multiplied so damn much.
Blame our “first-ever” labels. Never once we have imagined ourselves in this role, in this position, let alone thought of doing … all of this.
But people started to want us, to need us. People started to trust in us, our coverage, and our data. They want us to press on.
Giving up immediately seemed so illogical.
With what we’ve learnt and where we’ve come to through these years, a stage is built. It calls on us to step on it and do … something.
It was by this time a mission for us ahead became clear.
To bring the fandom together with the power of media. News with standards. Content with quality.
Service with a genuine heart.
Global Furry Television 