WPXT
A Hearst-owned television station serving the Portland, Maine market as a CW affiliate, with additional digital-subchannel programming.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WPXT is a commercial television station licensed to serve Portland, Maine, and operating from studios shared with ABC affiliate WMTW on Ledgeview Drive in Westbrook. Its transmitter is located in West Baldwin, Maine. The station is currently affiliated with The CW and is operated by Hearst Television alongside WMTW, forming a local television duopoly. WPXT began broadcasting on September 14, 1986, as Maine's first independent television station and the first new commercial station to enter the Portland market in more than three decades. It became a charter Fox affiliate less than a month later, on October 9, 1986. The station's early history was shaped by ownership changes and network realignment. Its original owner, Bride Communications, entered bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, leading to a sale to Pegasus Broadcasting in 1996. In 2001, after affiliation negotiations with Fox broke down, WPXT moved to The WB. The change temporarily left much of Maine without a conventional over-the-air Fox affiliate, with Fox programming reaching viewers through cable and satellite arrangements until replacement affiliations developed. WPXT operated as a WB station under brands including Maine's WB 51 and later Maine's WB. The station also maintained a local news operation for a period. Its reporting attracted national attention shortly before the 2000 presidential election when reporter Erin Fehlau reported on George W. Bush's past drunken-driving conviction. The work received a National Clarion Award for Fehlau and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for the station. WPXT closed its in-house news department in 2002, after which it used several news-sharing arrangements, principally with NBC affiliates WCSH and WLBZ and later with WMTW. The station became Portland's CW affiliate in 2006 following the planned combination of The WB and UPN into The CW Television Network. It was initially branded The CW Portland and later used WPXT-centered branding before adopting Maine's CW after its acquisition by Hearst. WPXT also carried a range of multicast services, including MeTV, Escape, Laff, Heroes & Icons, and MyNetworkTV at different times. The precise subchannel lineup changed repeatedly as affiliated stations and owners were reorganized. Ownership shifted several times during the 2010s. A proposed 2012 sale to Tyche Broadcasting was not consummated. A later transaction transferred the station to Ironwood Communications in 2013. Hearst Television announced its acquisition in 2018 and completed the purchase on September 21 of that year. The transaction paired WPXT with WMTW and resulted in further changes to the station's digital subchannels and brand identity. Hearst subsequently expanded WMTW's role in WPXT's local news presentation, launching News 8 on Maine's CW in September 2018. WPXT's principal consumer offering is free, over-the-air television programming distributed through its main broadcast signal and digital subchannels. Its value proposition is regional access to CW entertainment and sports programming, supplemented by syndicated, classic-television, specialty-network, and local-news content. In 2025, WPXT reached an agreement to air four Boston Red Sox spring-training games, adding selected regional sports programming to its schedule.
History
WPXT signed on September 14, 1986, as an independent station serving Portland, Maine. It was the first independent station in Maine and the first new commercial television station to launch in the Portland market in 32 years. On October 9, 1986, it became a charter affiliate of Fox. The station's original owner, Bride Communications, entered bankruptcy in 1996, and WPXT was sold to Pegasus Broadcasting. In October 2001, WPXT changed affiliations from Fox to The WB after renewal negotiations between Fox and Pegasus failed. Fox alleged that WPXT and another Pegasus station had not complied with affiliate-agreement requirements; station personnel disputed that characterization. The move left Maine without a conventional over-the-air Fox affiliate in much of the state for a period, while Fox programming was distributed through cable and satellite alternatives. WPXT developed a local news department in the early 1990s and planned a 10 p.m. newscast. It also produced a news program for sister station WPME at one point. The station received significant recognition for reporting shortly before the 2000 presidential election, when reporter Erin Fehlau disclosed George W. Bush's earlier drunken-driving conviction. Fehlau received a National Clarion Award, and WPXT received a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. The in-house news operation, then branded Our Maine News after the Fox-to-WB transition, closed on June 15, 2002. In September 2002, WPXT entered a news-sharing arrangement with NBC affiliates WCSH and WLBZ. The resulting NewsCenter at 10 program debuted on October 21, 2002, and later adopted a CW-related title after WPXT's 2006 affiliation transition. The program was moved to a digital subchannel in 2008 and was eventually discontinued. WPXT and WCSH later collaborated on NewsCenter Morning Report Xtra, a weekday morning extension that aired from 2011 until spring 2014. The WB and UPN announced plans in 2006 to combine their broadcast operations into The CW. WPXT was announced as Portland's CW affiliate in March of that year, while WPME was selected for MyNetworkTV. WPXT used The CW Portland branding and later emphasized its call letters. The station ceased analog broadcasting on August 12, 2008, earlier than the original nationwide digital-transition deadline, after a transmitter failure. WPXT expanded its digital service in the following years. MeTV launched on a second digital subchannel in 2011, and Escape was added in 2016. Ownership transactions during the 2010s included a proposed sale to Tyche Broadcasting that was abandoned in 2012 and a later sale to Ironwood Communications, approved by the FCC in April 2013 and completed in May of that year. In March 2018, several services previously carried by WPME were moved to WPXT subchannels as WPME was sold to Ion Media Networks and became WIPL. Hearst Television announced the acquisition of WPXT in July 2018. The transaction was approved in September and closed on September 21, creating a duopoly with WMTW. WPXT subsequently adopted the Maine's CW identity, while the owners reorganized the digital subchannel lineup, including exchanges involving MeTV, Heroes & Icons, Laff, Escape, and MyNetworkTV. Hearst also brought WMTW-produced local news to the station. A weeknight prime-time newscast began in September 2018 under the News 8 on Maine's CW name, followed by a Saturday evening edition in 2019. In 2025, WPXT added an agreement to broadcast four Boston Red Sox spring-training games.
- 2025
Boston Red Sox spring-training agreement
[1]WPXT agrees to broadcast four Boston Red Sox spring-training games.
- 2018
Hearst Television acquisition closes
[1]Hearst Television completes its purchase of WPXT on September 21, pairing it with WMTW.
- 2018
News 8 on Maine's CW launches
[1]WMTW begins producing a prime-time newscast for WPXT.
- 2013
Ironwood Communications acquisition closes
[1]The sale of WPXT to Ironwood Communications is completed on May 20.
- 2011
MeTV launches on a digital subchannel
[1]WPXT begins carrying MeTV on its second digital subchannel.
- 2008
Analog transmission ends
[1]The station stops analog transmission on August 12 after a transmitter failure.
- 2006
Selected as Portland CW affiliate
[1]WPXT is designated as the Portland affiliate of the newly formed CW network.
- 2002
In-house news operation closes
[1]WPXT ends its own news department on June 15 and later begins a news-sharing arrangement with WCSH and WLBZ.
- 2001
Switch to The WB
[1]WPXT changes from Fox to The WB on October 7 after affiliation negotiations with Fox fail.
- 1996
Sale to Pegasus Broadcasting
[1]Following the bankruptcy of original owner Bride Communications, WPXT is sold to Pegasus Broadcasting.
Products and positioning
A locally operated, free-to-air CW outlet for the Portland and southern Maine market, supported by Hearst Television's regional news operation and a portfolio of digital multicast services.
Broadcast television network affiliation · 2006
CW programming
WPXT's primary service is its CW-affiliated broadcast schedule, distributed free over the air across the Portland television market. The service combines network entertainment programming with locally sold advertising, station promotions, and other scheduled content.
Local television news · 2018
News 8 on Maine's CW
A prime-time local newscast produced by sister station WMTW for WPXT. The program extended Hearst's local news operation to the CW outlet after the 2018 acquisition and was later supplemented by a Saturday edition.
Multicast television · 2011
Digital multicast services
WPXT has used its digital subchannels for services including MeTV, Escape, Laff, Heroes & Icons, and MyNetworkTV. The lineup has changed as network agreements and Hearst's station-group strategy evolved.
Regional sports television · 2025
Boston Red Sox spring-training broadcasts
A selected package of four Boston Red Sox spring-training games agreed for broadcast on WPXT in 2025.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition by Hearst TelevisionM&ABackground
Hearst Television sought to acquire WPXT and operate it alongside its Portland-market ABC station, WMTW.
Action taken
Hearst announced the acquisition on July 30, received approval in September, and completed the transaction on September 21.
Aftermath
The purchase created a duopoly, changed WPXT's identity to Maine's CW, reorganized digital subchannels, and enabled WMTW-produced local news on WPXT.
Reported purchase price. $3,350,000 (2018 acquisition)
2018
Digital-subchannel reorganizationStrategyBackground
WPME was sold to Ion Media Networks and became WIPL, requiring changes to the distribution of several multicast networks.
Action taken
WPXT and WMTW exchanged or reassigned services including MeTV, Heroes & Icons, Laff, Escape, and MyNetworkTV.
Aftermath
WPXT retained a broader multicast role while WMTW became the primary Hearst outlet for MeTV in the market.
2006
Selection as The CW's Portland affiliateStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN planned to combine their broadcast operations into The CW Television Network.
Action taken
WPXT was selected as Portland's CW affiliate, while sister station WPME was designated for MyNetworkTV.
Aftermath
WPXT adopted CW-focused branding and continued its role as a major general-entertainment station in the market.
2001
Change from Fox to The WBStrategyBackground
Renewal discussions between Fox and Pegasus Broadcasting broke down, creating an opening for The WB to obtain a full-time Portland affiliate.
Action taken
WPXT ended its Fox affiliation and began carrying The WB on October 7, 2001.
Aftermath
The change left Maine without a broadly available over-the-air Fox affiliate for a period and established WPXT as the state's principal over-the-air WB outlet.
Recent events
- 2025
WPXT to air Boston Red Sox spring-training games[1]
Product launch
WPXT reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox to broadcast four spring-training games.
- 2018
WPXT completes acquisition by Hearst Television[1]
M&A
Hearst Television completed its purchase of WPXT, pairing the station with ABC affiliate WMTW and creating a Portland-market duopoly.
- 2018
WMTW-produced prime-time newscast launches on WPXT[1]
Product launch
After the Hearst acquisition, WMTW began producing a prime-time newscast for WPXT under the News 8 on Maine's CW branding.
- 2006
WPXT becomes Portland's CW affiliate[1]
Other
Following the creation of The CW from the broadcast operations of The WB and UPN, WPXT was selected as the new CW affiliate for the Portland market.
Sources2 sources
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