On February 6, 2013, as part of a settlement of Nexstar's lawsuit against Granite, the company announced that the Fox affiliation would return to WFFT; the switch was effectively reversed on March 1, 2013, making WFFT the only former Fox affiliate owned or managed by Nexstar that was affected by the 2011 dispute with Fox to rejoin the network. The first Fox program to air on WFFT when it rejoined the network was an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Nexstar announced on June 13, 2016 that it would sell WFFT-TV and four other stations to Heartland Media, through its USA Television MidAmerica Holdings joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners, for $115 million. The sale was required as part of Nexstar's planned merger with Media General to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership caps; Media General was the owner of rival WANE-TV. In early March 2018, the station removed the "Local" branding originated during its Nexstar ownership and independent period, returning to the previous "Fox 55" branding. News operation WFFT presently broadcasts seven hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with one hour each on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays); in addition, the station also airs a half-hour weekly sports wrap-up show, titled The Locker Room, airing on Sunday evenings after the 10 p.m. newscast. For most of the station's history, WFFT did not have a regular newscast. In 1980, it formed its initial news department and aired a half-hour prime time news program known as The 10 O’Clock Report; this was established during a time of heavy competition from other newscasts. As an independent, WFFT did not have network shows that could lead into its newscast, so consistent viewership and ratings were difficult to maintain. The news team consisted of only five people, and personnel would shoot and edit their own video. After that broadcast's cancellation a year later, WFFT delivered news bulletins in prime time for almost two decades. On April 6, 2009, the station launched its second news operation and prime time broadcast known as Fox Fort Wayne News First at 10 (now Fox 55 News First at 10 since March 2018). It was the last Fox affiliate in Indiana to launch a news department, but the only local affiliate in the country to launch a new newscast in 2009. Airing for 35 minutes on weeknights and anchored by broadcast veteran Jim Blue, the show competed with a half-hour