CFI celebrates its 35th birthday!
CFI officially launched as an international programme database on 17 April 1989. Its role has changed several times since then, but its missions are now clearly defined: CFI is the world's only French media development agency and is particularly active in areas where the freedom of expression is under threat. Looking back at 35 years of media history.
From "Canal France International" to "CFI Développement Médias"
Canal France International (CFI) was created in 1989 by the French Ministry for Cooperation to ensure the free dissemination of television programmes in French-speaking Africa. Initially designed as a programme database, CFI broadcast programmes from Antenne 2, France 3 and RFO, as well as the Journal de TF1, a French news programme, on several global television channels.
It saw immense success after just three years and quadrupled its reach, with almost 170 million people across four continents tuning in to watch these television programmes.
From 1999 to 2003, CFI continued this work with the launch of its new television channel: CFI-TV. Programmes were produced for an African audience. Then, in July 2003, as part of France's ambition to establish a major French news channel, like CNN, CFI's capital was transferred to France Télévisions (75%) and Arte France (25%).
The turning point in CFI's story came in 2009. The agency refocused its efforts on sharing media expertise with developing countries, particularly where there is little respect for the freedom of expression and the rule of law. In 2010, as a private operator working on behalf of the French Government, it was given a unique mandate: to act as a media support agency.
This role was strengthened further in June 2017 when CFI became a wholly owned subsidiary of France Médias Monde, which enabled it to collaborate more with France24, RFI and MCD and therefore offer more development support.
CFI has been a world-renowned development agency since 2010
Today CFI works within the framework of the French policy that seeks to promote the freedom of expression, worship and information. The agency supports independent media outlets and strengthens democracy in regions where misinformation leads to unrest, with a particular focus on Africa, the Arab world, South-East Asia and Western Europe.
CFI also helps media outlets, which sometimes have fragile economic models, to ensure their economic viability. CFI's mission is twofold; it is not simply a matter of helping them to gain financial autonomy, but also to preserve their independence and their very existence.
From broadcasting its first television programmes in Cameroon in 1989 to establishing a residence dedicated to Ukrainian journalists in exile in 2023, CFI's history is marked by an unwavering commitment to defending the freedom of information and supporting media outlets, with a view to contributing, at its own level, to fostering a more peaceful society and a more sustainable world.
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