Some of Central Kentucky’s most popular television personalities are relocating again, a move that will likely allow them to reach a larger audience.
“The Lee and Hayley Show” with Lee Cruse and Hayley Harmon will leave WTVQ ABC36 and move to FOX 56 effective April 29, according to a press release.
“The Lee and Hayley Show” will also be moved to a new time slot: In Lexington, it will air at noon; in the other markets, the schedule will remain unchanged.
The show began airing on ABC affiliate WTVQ in February 2020 and is now syndicated and broadcast in Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina.
The duo will continue their podcast series “Lee and Hayley Overtime” with Kentucky Sports Radio.
“We are thrilled to bring The Lee and Hayley Show to FOX 56,” Cruse said in the press release. “This move represents an incredible opportunity to reach even more viewers and continue to deliver the entertaining content our viewers love.”
The move to FOX 56, which is part of Nexstar Media Group Inc., the largest local television group in the United States with 200 stations, offers the show a large platform for its distribution.
“We have built a fantastic audience in Central Kentucky and are excited to begin this new journey with FOX 56,” Harmon said. “Our commitment to providing engaging discussions, laughs and thought-provoking content remains strong.”
Cruse thanked everyone who gave him and Harmon a platform to launch their show in the press release. “Hayley and I are eternally grateful to Morris Multimedia, especially Chief Operating Officer Bobby Berry, who recognized our potential to perform on the national stage. Special thanks also to our friend and colleague (ABC36 General Manager) Chris Mossman – he is one of the best in the business and we appreciate everything he has done for us.”
The move to FOX 56 will also reunite Cruse and Harmon with their former colleague Monte Costes, who is General Manager of FOX 56. “We are excited to welcome ‘The Lee and Hayley Show’ to the FOX 56 family,” Costes said in the press release. “Lee and Hayley bring unparalleled creativity and a hilarious energy to their craft and we are confident their show will resonate with our audience. We look forward to a successful partnership.”
Lee Cruse, Hayley Harmon TV History
Before joining WTVQ, Cruse and Harmon were at WLEX 18, Lexington’s NBC affiliate station. Cruse and the station parted ways in May 2019 after jokes about a tweet from a British broadcaster that used a photo of a chimpanzee to represent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s newborn baby, which the station called “inappropriate.” Cruse later apologized.
Harmon left the station to support Cruse, and they relaunched their show on the other side of town before also taking over the weekday morning show in 2022.
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