Down our roots we go, we originally started off as a news website named The Maritime Link by HNBC Singapore, operated by the Henrusian News Broadcasting Corporation (HNBC) in 2014, which is 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 publishes videos covering major events in Singapore through various programmes such as HNBC globalNEWS and HNBC News at 7, along with some event live streaming through HNBC globalNEWS LIVE and HNBC NewsLive. Big names, small project, yet a rapidly flourishing tree. As of 2016, the platform was receiving nearly a thousand unique visitors to the site, with audiences across all major continents.
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) into the HRSMA-HNBC Media Publicity Service, after deleting their main website The Maritime Link, citing a potentially serious copyright violation due to a lack of source citation. The platform’s hundreds, if not thousands of audiences had to watch the utter demise of this site with so much potential. The merger was confirmed as HNBC couldn't be sustained for long due to a massive loss of resources.
On 1st October 2017, HRSMA MPS rebranded into HRSMA TV, which resulted from HRSMA's growing emphasis on the use of online platforms to spread mascot love and also to connect global mascot fans together. However from September 2018 onwards, the channel started to cover on the furry fandom due to HRSMA's shift in focus towards the furry fandom, after Pawsry became a furry on August 2018. Since then, HRSMA TV publishes their iconic furry-oriented series HRSMA FurryTalks on a weekly basis which covers various furry topics, from culture to some furry news as well. It was hosted by Pawsry.
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, such as the IFBS' flagship news programme The Furry Report (now known as GFTV News). HRSMA FurryTalks also rebranded into The Furry Show on 22nd December 2018, drastically growing its content repertoire.
The IFBS was a full-on petri dish for many experimental projects, coming in the form of concepts simulating one of the major achievements the channel wants to reach - from radio (GFTV FurWave), to a news-focused vision (GFTV Newsday) and the largest of all, the Mass Broadcast, a 2-hour long special concept video showing how a IFBS furry TV broadcast would look like.
The IFBS ceased broadcast on 9th February 2019, as the IFBS is engaged with merger discussions with a America-based furry radio station. However, after the other party announced their withdrawal of intentions to engage in a partnership or merge with the IFBS on 12th February 2019, the IFBS enacted policy and guideline reforms, and rebranded once again to the current Global Furry Television (GFTV).
Growing past the storm, growing forward
As the GFTV continued to grow anew, it first established 5 programmes, laying out a basic foundation for content development - from news, to event coverage and infotainment. But one unprecedented thing that happened to the channel is the establishment of its first overseas channel - in Mainland China. Known as Channel 2 China, it gone viral within the Chinese furry community during its first few days of operation, and has so far the largest audience base of the entire channel at the time of writing.
“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, and it all seemed sort of empty. Even if there was a unprecedented growth on the channel and having so much audience with us. But there is one thing, that, might be the very thing we are ready to pursue.
Since GFTV’s launch, furry news sort of became a thing for the channel. That prompted the channel’s very first staff position openings, which was mainly news editor and reporter (correspondents) slots during around May.
Time went by, and the response received was unexpected - albeit slow, the ‘family’ under the GFTV umbrella was growing, and so far, GFTV has 4 overseas branches on top of its central branch in Singapore - with a highly strategic presence in countries and regions with a deep furry pawprint; the US, Mexico, the UK and Mainland China. On top of that, a small yet floofy team ready to contribute to this project. This project we call, a way, for us to contribute back to the very fandom that changed our lives for the better.
It was by this time a mission, a target for us ahead became clear.
To unite the fandom together, through the power of media. For all; unbiased, objective, fearless, for good.