WFXT

WFXT is a television station serving Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding parts of New England. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 25, operates as a Fox network affiliate, and is owned by Cox Media Group. Its studios are in Dedham, while its transmitter is in Needham. WFXT is notable as one of the largest Fox affiliates that is not owned and operated by Fox, although Fox owned the station during two separate periods. The station began broadcasting on October 10, 1977, under the call sign WXNE-TV. It was established by the Christian Broadcasting Network as an independent station with a family-oriented schedule. Early programming combined older syndicated series, classic films, westerns, religious shows, and Catholic religious programming. CBN’s religious content occupied a substantial part of the schedule, including The 700 Club and televised Mass. During the early 1980s, the station gradually expanded its secular inventory with cartoons, made-for-television movies, sitcoms, and other syndicated entertainment. It also carried the locally popular bowling program Candlepins for Cash. News Corporation purchased the station at the end of 1986, ahead of the expansion of the Fox Broadcasting Company. WXNE-TV was renamed WFXT in January 1987 and became a Fox-owned station. The religious schedule was reduced, Fox programming was added, and the station carried syndicated programs such as A Current Affair. Fox’s prime-time expansion gave WFXT a more consistent network identity, although it continued to rely heavily on syndicated entertainment during the network’s early years. Because News Corporation also owned the Boston Herald, federal ownership rules created a newspaper-television cross-ownership issue. Fox therefore sold WFXT to an ownership group associated with the Boston Celtics in 1990. Under Celtics ownership, WFXT strengthened its syndicated programming and became a more substantial competitor to Boston independents WSBK-TV and WLVI-TV. The station also served as the Celtics’ over-the-air television flagship for a period, although the team later moved its broadcasts elsewhere. Fox retained an interest and an option to reacquire WFXT. After the Boston Herald was sold and regulatory obstacles were addressed, Fox exercised the option, and the station returned to Fox ownership in July 1995. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, WFXT combined Fox network programs with syndicated talk, reality, sitcom, and children’s programming. It was the television flagship of the Boston Red Sox from 2000 through 2002 and continued to carry nationally televised Red Sox games distributed by Fox. Fox announced in 2014 that it would trade WFXT and WHBQ-TV in Memphis to Cox Media Group for Fox-owned stations in San Francisco. Cox completed the acquisition later that year. Under Cox, the station developed the Boston 25 identity and placed increasing emphasis on local news, weather, traffic, investigative reporting, and digital publishing. The Boston 25 News brand is now used across the station’s broadcasts and website, while WFXT remains the underlying broadcast call sign and Fox affiliate. Cox Media Group’s television assets were acquired by Apollo Global Management in 2019 and returned to Cox Enterprises ownership in 2022. WFXT continues to operate as an active Boston-market television station.

WFXT signed on October 10, 1977, as WXNE-TV, an independent station founded by the Christian Broadcasting Network. The call sign referred to Christ in New England. Although the station had received an FCC construction permit in 1972, delays involving studio and transmitter facilities postponed its launch for several years. Its initial schedule was aimed at families and religious viewers. Religious programming included The 700 Club and televised Catholic Mass, while secular fare consisted mainly of older syndicated series, westerns, films, classic shorts, and family dramas. In the early 1980s, WXNE added more cartoons, made-for-television films, sitcoms, and other general-entertainment programming. The station also produced Candlepins for Cash after acquiring the bowling program from a competing Boston station. During this period it promoted itself as Boston 25 and became a credible, though smaller, competitor to established independent stations WSBK-TV and WLVI-TV. News Corporation agreed to acquire WXNE in 1986. The transaction closed on December 31, 1986, and the station adopted the WFXT call sign on January 19, 1987. It became a Fox-owned station as the new network expanded beyond its initial programming. Fox shows were added progressively, religious content was reduced, and the station carried Fox-associated syndicated programming including A Current Affair. Fox’s prime-time schedule began on WFXT in 1987, while the station continued to fill much of its schedule with syndicated entertainment. News Corporation’s simultaneous ownership of the Boston Herald created a regulatory complication because FCC rules restricted common ownership of a newspaper and television station in the same market. Fox placed the station on the market and sold it in 1990 to an ownership group linked to the Boston Celtics. WFXT became the Celtics’ broadcast outlet and improved its syndicated programming, including high-profile rerun packages. The station’s sports role later expanded to include Boston Red Sox games from 2000 to 2002. Fox maintained a financial interest and obtained an option to reacquire WFXT. After the Herald was sold and related ownership concerns were addressed, Fox exercised the option in 1995. During the following years, WFXT carried Fox network programming, syndicated talk and reality shows, sitcoms, and children’s programming. It became the last Boston-market station to carry a weekday morning children’s block before that form of programming disappeared from its schedule. In 2014, Fox traded WFXT to Cox Media Group. Cox expanded the station’s local-news identity, and the outlet became widely known as Boston 25 News. Its modern operation combines broadcast news, weather, traffic, investigations, sports-related coverage, and a web and mobile publishing presence. WFXT remained a Fox affiliate after the ownership change. Cox Media Group’s television assets moved to Apollo-controlled ownership in 2019 and back to Cox Enterprises in 2022. The station remains active and serves the Boston television market from facilities in Dedham and Needham.

• 2022

  Cox Enterprises regained majority ownership of Cox Media Group.

  [3]Cox Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Cox Enterprises returned to majority ownership of the group operating WFXT.

• 2019

  Cox television assets acquired by Apollo-led group

  [3]Cox Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Cox Media Group’s television operations entered Apollo-controlled ownership.

• 2015

  Boston 25 branding expands

  [2]Boston 25 Newsboston25news.com

  The station developed the Boston 25 News identity across local broadcasts and digital operations.

• 2014

  Cox Media Group acquisition

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  WFXT was transferred from Fox to Cox Media Group in a station exchange involving Fox properties in San Francisco.

• 2000

  Red Sox flagship period begins

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  WFXT became the Boston Red Sox’s television flagship for a three-season period.

• 1995

  Fox reacquires WFXT

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  Fox exercised its purchase option and regained control of the station.

• 1990

  Boston Celtics ownership begins

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  Fox sold WFXT to the Celtics ownership group because of newspaper-television ownership restrictions involving the Boston Herald.

• 1987

  Station becomes WFXT

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call sign and operated as a Fox-owned station as Fox expanded its programming.

• 1986

  News Corporation announces acquisition

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  News Corporation selected WXNE as a future Fox-owned station in Boston.

• 1980

  Candlepins for Cash moves to channel 25

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  WXNE took over production of the Boston-area bowling program, strengthening its local programming profile.

• 1977

  WXNE-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  The station signed on as an independent outlet owned by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

• 1972

  FCC construction permit awarded

  [1]WFXTen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC authorized construction of the future Boston channel 25 station, although facility and development delays postponed its launch.

A mass-market local television news and entertainment outlet, positioned as Boston’s Fox affiliate with a strong emphasis on regional news, weather, traffic, investigations, and digital journalism.

• local television news · 2015

  Boston 25 News

  WFXT’s principal local-news service, covering Boston and surrounding communities through scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, investigative pieces, weather, traffic, politics, public safety, consumer reporting, and regional features. The brand is also used for the station’s website and digital video publishing.

• broadcast television programming · 1987

  Fox network programming

  WFXT distributes Fox’s national schedule, including prime-time entertainment, network news-related programming, sports, and other programming supplied by Fox. The station has carried Fox programming since the network’s early expansion, apart from its ownership changes.

• weather information

  Boston 25 Weather

  Weather forecasting and severe-weather coverage produced for the Boston region and presented through television newscasts and digital channels.

• online media

  Digital news publishing

  The Boston 25 News website provides written stories, live and on-demand video, weather information, traffic updates, alerts, and other regional coverage associated with WFXT’s newsroom.

• 2015Boston 25 News brand rollout

  Boston metropolitan area

  Cox Media Group developed the Boston 25 identity as the station’s principal local-news and digital brand after acquiring WFXT from Fox.

  Outcome. The Boston 25 News name became the station’s primary public-facing local-news identity while WFXT remained the legal broadcast call sign.

  Source

• 2014

  Exchange with Cox Media GroupM&A

  Background

  Fox reorganized parts of its station portfolio and sought San Francisco assets.

  Action taken

  Fox transferred WFXT and WHBQ-TV to Cox Media Group in exchange for two San Francisco stations.

  Aftermath

  WFXT became a Cox-operated Fox affiliate and expanded its Boston 25 local-news positioning.

  Source

• 1995

  Fox reacquisitionM&A

  Background

  The Boston Herald had been separated from News Corporation, removing the principal newspaper cross-ownership obstacle.

  Action taken

  Fox exercised its option to buy WFXT back from the Celtics group.

  Aftermath

  WFXT returned to Fox ownership until the 2014 exchange with Cox Media Group.

  Source

• 1990

  Sale to Boston Celtics ownershipM&A

  Background

  News Corporation faced FCC concerns over common ownership of WFXT and the Boston Herald.

  Action taken

  Fox sold the station to the Boston Celtics ownership group while retaining an option and financial interest.

  Aftermath

  WFXT remained affiliated with Fox and improved its syndicated programming under Celtics ownership.

  Source

• 1986

  Conversion from Christian independent to Fox-owned stationStrategy

  Background

  News Corporation acquired WXNE-TV while preparing to build the Fox Broadcasting Company’s station network.

  Action taken

  The station changed its call sign to WFXT, reduced religious programming, and added Fox and Fox-associated syndicated content.

  Aftermath

  WFXT became a long-term Fox affiliate and later one of the network’s largest non-owned stations.

  Source

1. 1WFXTen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Boston 25 Newsboston25news.com
3. 3Cox Media Groupen.wikipedia.org