WFXZ-CD

WFXZ-CD is a Class A television station serving the Boston, Massachusetts, television market. Although the station holds a low-power Class A license, it reaches the market through a channel-sharing arrangement with co-owned PBS member station WGBH-TV. WFXZ's studios are in Woburn, while its shared transmission facilities are located with WGBH-TV on Cabot Street in Needham. The arrangement allows WFXZ to use spectrum associated with WGBH-TV's full-power transmission operation and provides reception across the Boston market. The station's regulatory history began with a construction permit granted on November 30, 1989, for W29BA, a proposed channel 29 facility licensed to nearby Lawrence. Before the station entered service, its channel and city of license changed. It ultimately signed on in early 2000 on channel 24 as W24CM, initially carrying a home-shopping service. Within months, it adopted the WVXN-LP call sign. In 2001, the station received Class A status as WVXN-CA and replaced home-shopping programming with an affiliation with MTV2. The callsign changed again to WFXZ-CA in 2003. WFXZ became Boston's Azteca América affiliate in July 2006, giving the station a Spanish-language network role. It converted its signal to digital transmission through a 2010 flash cut. In December 2011, longtime owner Randolph Weigner agreed to sell the station to Prime Time Partners. WFXZ subsequently became a charter affiliate of MundoFox when that network launched on August 13, 2012. Azteca América programming moved to a secondary digital channel. A third digital subchannel carried Hope Channel around 2014. MundoFox was later renamed MundoMax after Fox International Channels exited the underlying joint venture in 2015. When MundoMax ended operations, WFXZ returned to primary Azteca América programming on December 1, 2016. During its Spanish-language network affiliations, the station was carried on Xfinity digital channels 721 and 981 and on Verizon FiOS channel 20. WFXZ's ownership and transmission model changed substantially as a result of the Federal Communications Commission incentive auction. The station sold its spectrum for $63,949,770 and elected to participate in a post-auction channel-sharing arrangement. On September 8, 2017, WFXZ entered into a sharing agreement with WGBH-TV, while Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WFXZ license to the WGBH Educational Foundation. WFXZ shut down its separate UHF digital channel 24 transmitter on December 3, 2017, and began transmitting through WGBH-TV's channel 19 facility. WGBH's acquisition was completed on December 21, 2017. At that point, WFXZ discontinued Azteca América and adopted BizTV programming. Its carriage on Xfinity and Verizon FiOS also ended at the time of the transition. Today, WFXZ-CD functions as a locally licensed Boston television outlet within the WGBH ownership structure. Its principal offering is BizTV programming delivered through shared transmission infrastructure rather than an independently operated full-power transmitter.

WFXZ-CD traces its regulatory origins to a construction permit granted on November 30, 1989, for W29BA, a proposed channel 29 station licensed to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Before the station launched, it moved to channel 24 and received a Boston license. It signed on in early 2000 as W24CM with home-shopping programming, then changed its callsign to WVXN-LP. In 2001, the station was upgraded to Class A status and became WVXN-CA. Its programming moved away from home shopping toward an MTV2 affiliation. The callsign became WFXZ-CA in 2003. In July 2006, WFXZ assumed the Azteca América affiliation for Boston, establishing a period in which the station served as a Spanish-language network outlet. The station completed a digital flash cut in 2010. Ownership changed direction in December 2011, when longtime owner Randolph Weigner agreed to sell the station to Prime Time Partners. WFXZ became a charter MundoFox affiliate at the network's launch on August 13, 2012. Azteca América programming was placed on a secondary digital subchannel. A third digital subchannel carried Hope Channel around 2014. Following Fox International Channels' departure from the MundoFox joint venture in 2015, the network was renamed MundoMax. WFXZ returned to primary Azteca América programming on December 1, 2016, after MundoMax ceased operations. The station's most consequential transition resulted from the FCC incentive auction. WFXZ sold its spectrum for $63,949,770 and chose to continue operation through channel sharing. On September 8, 2017, it entered a channel-sharing agreement with WGBH-TV. At the same time, Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the license to the WGBH Educational Foundation. WFXZ ended operation of its separate UHF channel 24 transmitter on December 3, 2017, and began using the WGBH-TV channel 19 transmission facility. The WGBH acquisition closed on December 21, 2017. Following the transfer, WFXZ discontinued Azteca América and adopted BizTV programming. The station also lost its previous carriage on Xfinity and Verizon FiOS. WFXZ currently remains a Class A television station serving the Boston market, with studios in Woburn and shared transmission facilities in Needham.

• 2017

  Spectrum sale and WGBH channel sharing

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WFXZ sold its spectrum in the FCC incentive auction, shut down its independent channel 24 transmitter, and began sharing WGBH-TV's channel 19 facility.

• 2017

  License donated to WGBH Educational Foundation

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The WGBH Educational Foundation completed its acquisition of the WFXZ license on December 21, and the station adopted BizTV programming.

• 2016

  Return to primary Azteca América service

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WFXZ restored Azteca América as its primary service after MundoMax ceased operations.

• 2012

  MundoFox affiliation begins

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WFXZ became a charter MundoFox affiliate when the network launched on August 13.

• 2010

  Digital flash cut

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WFXZ converted its transmission operation directly to digital broadcasting.

• 2006

  Azteca América affiliation begins

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WFXZ became the Boston affiliate of Azteca América in July.

• 2003

  Calls changed to WFXZ-CA

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted the WFXZ-CA callsign.

• 2001

  Class A upgrade and MTV2 affiliation

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station became WVXN-CA, obtained Class A status, and replaced home-shopping programming with MTV2.

• 2000

  Station signs on as W24CM

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station launched on channel 24 with home-shopping programming after changing its proposed channel and city of license.

• 1989

  Construction permit granted as W29BA

  [1]WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The original construction permit was granted on November 30 for a proposed channel 29 station licensed to Lawrence, Massachusetts.

A locally licensed Boston television station positioned as a BizTV affiliate and distributed through shared transmission facilities operated with WGBH-TV.

• Television network affiliation · 2017

  BizTV

  WFXZ's current principal programming service is BizTV, a business- and entertainment-oriented television network carried through the station's digital broadcast operation. The affiliation began after WGBH Educational Foundation acquired the license in December 2017 and replaced the station's prior Azteca América service.

• Former television network affiliation · 2006

  Azteca América

  WFXZ carried Azteca América as its primary affiliation beginning in July 2006 and returned to that role in December 2016 after MundoMax ended operations. The affiliation ended in 2017 following the station's transfer to WGBH ownership and adoption of BizTV.

• Former television network affiliation · 2012

  MundoFox/MundoMax

  WFXZ was a charter MundoFox affiliate beginning with the network's August 2012 launch. After the network was renamed MundoMax, WFXZ eventually returned Azteca América to primary status when MundoMax ceased operations in 2016.

• Former television network affiliation · 2001

  MTV2

  MTV2 programming replaced home-shopping content after the station received Class A status in 2001. It represents an earlier phase in WFXZ's programming history before its later Spanish-language affiliations.

• 2017

  License donation and transfer to WGBHM&A

  Background

  Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WFXZ license to the WGBH Educational Foundation in connection with the station's post-auction channel-sharing plan.

  Action taken

  WFXZ entered a channel-sharing agreement with WGBH-TV, ended operation of its independent channel 24 transmitter, and transferred its license to the WGBH Educational Foundation.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition was completed on December 21, 2017. WFXZ adopted BizTV programming and discontinued its previous Xfinity and Verizon FiOS carriage.

  Source

• 2017

  FCC incentive-auction spectrum saleStrategy

  Background

  WFXZ participated in the FCC incentive auction and elected to continue broadcasting through a post-auction channel-sharing arrangement.

  Action taken

  The station sold its spectrum for $63,949,770 and moved its transmission operation to a shared facility using WGBH-TV's spectrum.

  Aftermath

  WFXZ shut down its separate UHF channel 24 transmitter on December 3, 2017, while continuing as a Class A station through shared transmission.

  Spectrum auction proceeds. $63,949,770 (FCC incentive auction; 2017 transition)

  Source

1. 1WFXZ-CDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WFXZ-CD official websitewfxz24.com