WFXT
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WFXT is an American television station which uses the on-air brand Fox 25. It is the Fox television network affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts. Its transmitter is located in Newton, Massachusetts while its studios are located in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is one of six local Boston TV stations seen in Canada on the Bell ExpressVu satellite provider.
History
Channel 25 signed on as WXNE in the Fall of 1977. The station was originally owned by The Christian Broadcasting Network. The early format consisted of religious programming such as the 700 Club and programs of many other televangelists. Religious programming ran for about six hours a day during the week and all day on Sundays.
Secular programming consisted of westerns, old movies, family type drama shows, old film shorts, and classic TV shows. By 1980, the religious programming was cut back on Sundays to 6-11 AM and 7 PM to Midnight. Religious programming was cut down to about four to five hours a day during the week.
The station began adding more cartoons, made-for-TV movies, and off network sitcoms in the early 1980s. While the station was only on cable systems in the Greater Boston market, WXNE was a solid third among independent stations, behind WSBK-TV and WLVI, and sixth among commercial television stations.
WXNE was sold on January 19, 1987, to Fox Broadcasting Company, who affiliated the station with the new Fox network and renamed it "Fox 25 WFXT". After the purchase, the 700 Club broadcasted once a day and Mass was moved to an earlier timeslot. The Sunday evening religious programming block was replaced with Fox programming. The station also ran more first run syndicated game shows and reality shows.
In 1990, Fox sold the station to the Boston Celtics, who began buying programming aggressively, including popular off network sitcoms and syndicated fare. The religious programming was reduced to early Sunday mornings. By 1991 or 1992, WFXT was on many more cable systems in areas of New England where Fox programming was not available.
In 1995, Fox bought back WFXT. At this time, the network was pushing for more news intensive formats for its stations. WFXT though moved slowly in building a news department. The station did not broadcast its own prime time 10 PM newscast until 1996. WFXT was the second to last Fox owned & operated station left without any local news, as well as the last Fox owned & operated station running a morning kids block. By 2003, the station added a morning news block along with an evening 5-6 PM weekday newscast.
Today, WFXT runs about 30 hours a week of local news along with first run syndicated talk, reality, and court shows. The station also runs some off network sitcoms.
Newscasts
WFXT currently has three newscasts Monday through Friday, one on Saturdays, and two on Sundays.
Weekdays
- Fox 25 Morning News - 6:00 AM to 9:00AM. Hosted by Gene Lavanchy and Kim Carrigan (Premered on September 22, 2003)
- Fox 25 News at 5 - 5:00 PM to 6:00PM.
- Fox 25 News at Ten - 10:00 PM to 11:00PM. Hosted by David Wade and Maria Stephanos
Sundays
- Fox 25 News Sunday - 9:00 AM to 10:00AM. Hosted by Molly Line.
- Fox News Sunday - From Fox News Channel, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- Fox 25 News at Ten - 10:00 PM to 11:00PM
Saturday
- Fox 25 News at Ten - 10:00 PM to 11:00PM