Boston 25 WFXT Owner Putting Network Up For Sale

DEDHAM, MA — WFXT, also known as Boston 25 is for sale.

Station owner Cox Media Group announced this week that they will look to sell all 14 stations that they own. The media company bought the station in 2014 as part of a station swap with Fox Television Stations. The new owners eventually changed the name of the Dedham-based station from FOX 25 to Boston 25 in order to avoid confusion with Fox News.

"We didn't take this decision lightly. It is clear that scale is critical for TV affiliates to be positioned well for the future. Our stations are some of the best in the industry and we want them to stay that way," Alex Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Cox Enterprises, said in a release.

The potential sale comes at a time when the station has struggled to find viewers for their news programs. Only NBC Boston, which has been on the air for a little more than 18 months, has a smaller audience for the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, according to WBRU. WCVB current sits at the top spot, with WBZ in second.

A sale would be another shift in the Boston media landscape, which saw NBC launch their own local affiliate on New Year's Day 2017. The move forced WHDH, the former NBC Boston affiliate, to become an independent station.

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