Explora is a Canadian French language Category B specialty channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that focuses on science, environment, nature, and health programming.

On February 21, 2011, the CBC was granted approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a television channel called Sens, described as "a national, French-language Category 2 specialty programming undertaking that offers programming devoted to scientific discoveries, the environment, nature and human health." The name Sens was an abbreviation consisting of the first letter of each word of the French spelling of each of the channel's four main topics: science, environment, nature, and health (science, environnement, nature, and santé).

The channel was set to launch as Explora on December 1, 2011. However, after some delays, on March 5, 2012, CBC announced that the channel would launch on March 28, 2012. The decision to change the channel's name was due to management at the CBC thinking the name Sens would cause confusion among viewers. Although specifics regarding what viewers could confuse the channel with have not been named public, presumably, at least one of the dangers could be viewers confusing the channel as being associated with the National Hockey League club, the Ottawa Senators, which are often referred to as "the Sens", and who was also associated with a part-time pay-per-view channel called Sens TV, which broadcast live Senators' hockey games in its "home market".

Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS until September 2006. A Spanish-dubbed version first aired as part of a Nick en español block on NBC Universal-owned Telemundo through September 2006; since April 2008, this version of the program has been carried on Univision as part of the Planeta U block.

Dora, the main character, is an eight-year-old girl who embarks on a trip in every episode in order to find something or help somebody. She asks the viewers at home to help her find new ways to reach places with the help of Map. She also teaches viewers Spanish, introducing them to short words and phrases.

Dora has a positive view of the characters she meets, failing even to hold a grudge against the mischievous fox, Swiper, who continually attempts to steal items from her party. She acts against villains only when it seems that compromise is impossible, and even in these cases, fails to display actual anger. She gives others a chance to try their hands at tasks even when she herself might have an easier time with them. Dora values her family, whom she loves openly, though she spends little time indoors at home with them. She tries to introduce her traditions and customs, subtly and without compulsion, to those who are not familiar with them.