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WFXZ-CD

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For other stations that have used the WFXZ callsign, see WFXZ (disambiguation).
WFXZ-CD
Channels
BrandingWFXZ 24
Programming
Affiliations24.1: Biz TV
Ownership
OwnerWGBH Educational Foundation
  • TV:
  • Radio:
History
FoundedNovember 30, 1989
First air date
November 9, 2000 (23 years ago) (2000-11-09)
Former call signs
  • W29BA (1989–1999)
  • W24CM (1999–2000)
  • WVXN-LP (2000–2001)
  • WVXN-CA (2001–2003)
  • WFXZ-CA (2003–2010)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 24 (UHF, 2000–2010)
  • Digital: 25 (UHF, 2010–2015), 24 (UHF, 2015–2017), 19 (UHF, 2017–2019; shared with WGBH-TV)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID64833
ClassCD
ERP34 kW
HAAT362.7 m (1,190 ft)
Transmitter coordinates42°18′10.7″N 71°13′4.9″W / 42.302972°N 71.218028°W / 42.302972; -71.218028
Links
Public license information

WFXZ-CD (channel 24) is a Class A television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation.[2] WFXZ-CD's studios are located in Woburn.

Under a channel sharing arrangement, WFXZ-CD shares transmitter facilities with co-owned PBS member station WGBH-TV (channel 2) on Cabot Street in Needham. Despite WFXZ-CD legally holding a low-power Class A license, it transmits using WGBH-TV's full-power spectrum. This ensures complete reception across the Boston television market.

History

[edit]

The station's construction permit was originally granted on November 30, 1989, as W29BA, operating on channel 29, which would be licensed to nearby Lawrence.[3] However, by the time finally it signed on the air with a home shopping service in early 2000, it had moved to channel 24, was licensed to Boston and adopted the W24CM call sign.[4]

A few months later, channel 24 changed its call letters to WVXN-LP. In 2001, the station was upgraded to Class A status as WVXN-CA and dropped home shopping programming in favor of affiliating with MTV2.[5] The station changed its callsign to WFXZ-CA in 2003. In July 2006, the station became the Boston affiliate of the Azteca América network.[6]

WFXZ-CD logo under its MundoFox affiliation

WFXZ flash-cut its signal to digital transmission in 2010. Longtime owner Randolph Weigner agreed to sell WFXZ to Prime Time Partners in December 2011.[2] The station became a charter MundoFox affiliate when the network formally launched on August 13, 2012,[7] with Azteca America programming moving to its second digital subchannel; it returned to primary status early on December 1, 2016, due to MundoMax ending operations (shortly after Fox International Channels dropped out of the joint venture in 2015). During its affiliations with MundoFox/MundoMax and Azteca América, WFXZ-CD was carried on Xfinity digital channels 721 and 981, and Verizon FiOS channel 20. A third subchannel, c. 2014, carried Hope Channel.[8]

In the FCC's incentive auction, WFXZ-CD sold its spectrum for $63,949,770 and indicated that it would enter into a post-auction channel sharing agreement.[9] On September 8, 2017, the station entered into a channel sharing agreement with WGBH-TV (channel 2); concurrently, Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WFXZ license to the WGBH Educational Foundation.[10][11] WFXZ shut down its UHF digital channel 24 transmitter on December 3, 2017, and began channel-sharing on WGBH-TV's channel 19 transmitter;[12] WGBH's acquisition of the station was completed on December 21, 2017,[13] at which point the station dropped Azteca América for BizTV. Concurrently, the station's carriage on Xfinity and Verizon FiOS was discontinued.

Subchannels

[edit]
Subchannels of WGBH-TV and WFXZ-CD[14]
License Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
WGBH-TV 2.1 1080i 16:9 WGBH-HD PBS
44.1 WGBX-HD PBS (WGBX-TV)
66.5 480i 16:9 NVSN Nuestra Visión (soon) (WUNI)
WFXZ-CD 24.1 480i 16:9 WFXZ Biz Television
  Simulcast of subchannels of another station
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WFXZ-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b "Boston Class A TV sold". Television Business Report. December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  3. ^ "Application Details (WFXZ-CA)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 7, 2000). ""Quick," What's On 93.5/93.9?". North East RadioWatch. The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  5. ^ Fybush, Scott (October 8, 2001). "Ackerley Signs Off". North East RadioWatch. The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  6. ^ "Azteca America opens Boston station". Boston Business Journal. August 2, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  7. ^ Seyler, Dave (August 9, 2012). "MundoFOX adds four large markets". Television Business Report. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  8. ^ "Hope Channel in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Tampa!". Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  10. ^ "Amendment to a Modification of a Licensed Facility for Digital Class A TV Station Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  11. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  12. ^ "Notice of Suspension of Operations of STATION WFXZ-CD on Pre-Auction Channel" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. November 30, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Notice. Federal Communications Commission. December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  14. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WGBH". RabbitEars. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
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