TV Legend Monica Kaufman Pearson Will Return To Atlanta TV In February

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta TV news legend Monica Kaufman Pearson is returning to the screen early next year.

Pearson, the first African American and the first woman to anchor an evening newscast in Atlanta, just signed a two-year deal to host two shows on CBS 46 and Peachtree TV, Gray Television, the parent company of the two stations announced.

“Monica Kaufman Pearson isn’t just an Atlanta treasure, she’s a legend in journalism across the country. We’re very excited to welcome Monica into the CBS46 and Peachtree TV family and can’t wait to get started in February!” said Erik Schrader, CBS46 and Peachtree TV General Manager.
Pearson received nearly three dozen regional Emmys in the almost 40 years she spent in broadcasting, and will bring that journalistic savvy and her on-air presence to an interview-themed series to debut in February, station officials said.

“It is exciting to be back in the business again, this time with Gray Television. This Atlanta-based company is national but still has that local touch,” said Pearson. “Gray’s commitment to creating local programming that has meaning and impact moved me from retirement. I am grateful to Hilton Howell and the management of CBS46 and Peachtree TV for providing me with this opportunity to introduce viewers to people they’ve always wanted to know more about.”

Pearson retired from WSB-TV News in 2012 after 37 years at the Atlanta ABC affiliate and conducted nearly 200 celebrity interviews on a show called “Closeups” that ran for more than 20 years.

Her anchor seat was filled by Jovita Moore, who died last month after an extended bout with a rare form of brain cancer.

During Pearson’s time away from TV, she hosted a weekly radio on KISS 104.1 FM, earned a Master’s degree from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, wrote a column for the quarterly magazine “Southern Seasons,” and taught at Atlanta Metropolitan State College.

She also served as one of the hosts of the Emmy-nominated Georgia Public Broadcasting series “A Seat At The Table,” and has been inducted into the halls of fame of the National Association of Black Journalists, the University of Kentucky Journalism, the Atlanta Press Club, the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.