Associated with NBC since the 1950s, Channel 14 WFIE has additional identities these days. The May 2026 purchase of Channel 44 WEVV by WFIE’s parent company, Gray Media, means the latter TV station now carries three network flags — NBC, plus CBS and Fox — but with one newsroom and weather operation.
Gray Media’s acquisition of 10 stations previously owned by Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group was announced in August 2025. Sales staff of WFIE and WEVV were joined on Aug. 1 of this year, and newscasts merged Sept. 14 under WFIE’s 14 News banner. Coincidentally, the changeover happened as this season’s NFL schedule ramped up, and messages about the affiliation shift have aired during football games on all three networks.
The shift of CBS and Fox to WFIE has been a lot to process for viewers, says Jamie Bremer, WFIE’s vice president and general manager. There’s been positive feedback, she says, but “we will get a call here and there saying, ‘I’m watching Fox and I’m seeing 14 News — what’s going on?’ Even though we’ve been promoting it for a really long time on all the stations, I think people are still struggling to grasp it.”
Bremer has a color-coded grid on her desk showing what’s airing on channels 14 and 44 each day. She explains the networks all still have their traditional shows and airtimes, but 14 News will sometimes “simulstream” on more than one channel. At 6 p.m. weeknights, for example, 14 News is on both NBC and CBS, while “Friends” is on Fox. At 6:30 p.m., 14 News airs on Fox, while “Wheel of Fortune” is on NBC and “Entertainment Tonight” on CBS.
As for WFIE’s in-house routine, “it hasn’t been super complicated,” Bremer says. “The complicated part is more for the employees that came from WEVV, learning to operate our systems. That’s been the biggest challenge, but nothing that a few days of training can’t overcome.”
WFIE also absorbed Allen Media Group’s lease of the WEVV studio building at 477 Carpenter St., and with WFIE’s headquarters at 1115 Mount Auburn Road undergoing a remodel, the WEVV building is still in use by some WFIE staff. WFIE first went on local airwaves in 1953, while WEVV didn’t start broadcasting until 1983.
Shake-ups in on-air talent also are contributing to changes in local television that viewers are noticing. Jeff Lyons, WFIE chief meteorologist and a 38-year veteran of the station, is retiring and has introduced two newcomers to the weather team, Matthew Wine and Nathan Kitchens.
Some former WEVV talents have joined 14 News as well as its only remaining competing TV newsroom, jointly run by WEHT (affiliated with ABC) and WTVW (The CW Network) and branded as Eyewitness News. Based in Henderson, Kentucky, WEHT is owned and operated by Nexstar Media Group, which operates WTVW through an outsourcing agreement.
Bremer, an alumna of Central High School and Oakland City University, has been with WFIE for 14 years. She was promoted to vice president and general manager in May by Gray Media, replacing Jay Hiett, who is now with Gray Media’s Louisville, Kentucky, properties.
Although the merger of WFIE and WEVV staffs has subtracted one newsroom from the Tri-State, Bremer says it has strengthened the content WFIE produces across multiple platforms, and weather updates remain a top priority and a substantial driver of digital traffic.
“We’re adding more local news for the community, and we’re really excited,” Bremer says. “It’s more boots on the ground. We’re also upping our game, not just on broadcast TV, but on social media and streaming news opportunities. Our goal is to be where the viewer is and give them what they want, when they want.”
