TVOntario launched its French-language service, tfo, in New Brunswick last month, marking the first time in its 26-year history that the provincial educational broadcaster has distributed one of its networks outside Ontario.

Fundy Cable is carrying the tfo signal to over 136,000 households across New Brunswick, with plans to increase distribution in coming months.

The Fundy deal will provide the public organization with a significant stream of new revenue to help offset provincial funding cuts and is part of its overall strategy to build self-generated revenue. tfo is looking to the New Brunswick market to open up new opportunities for sales of its French-language programming and also sees potential for coproductions with the Acadian community.

Calling the venture precedent-setting, tvo chairman and ceo Peter Herrndorf says he would like to see tvo duplicate this initiative in the rest of Atlantic Canada and Quebec.