Legendary Atlanta news anchor and journalist Monica Kaufman Pearson has signed a two-year deal to host two programs at CBS46/WGCL-TV and Peachtree TV/WPCH-TV, now owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television. One of the programs will be an interview-themed series launching in February 2022.

“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.

Watch CBS46 starting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 12/8/21 for a series of reports on Pearson’s return to television

Pearson, the first African American and female to anchor an evening newscast in Atlanta, retired from broadcasting in 2012 after spending nearly 40 years in the Atlanta market. During that time, she received nearly three dozen regional Emmy awards.

“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.”

Gray Television completed its acquisition of CBS46 and Peachtree TV along with 15 other Meredith stations on December 1. The company immediately executed a plan to expand programming on both of its Atlanta stations.

“Having Monica Pearson, a trailblazer for women and minorities in the Atlanta market, join our team will help us deliver on our plans to add to the already terrific programming you see on CBS46 and Peachtree TV,” said Gray’s Executive Chairman and CEO Hilton H. Howell. “Viewers can expect to see more local content, more relevant content, and more in-depth coverage.”

After her retirement, Pearson graduated with a master’s degree, Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2014. She wrote a column, Monica Matters, for the quarterly magazine, Southern Seasons and she taught at Atlanta Metropolitan State College. Pearson freelanced at KISS 104.1 FM, hosting a Sunday public affairs show as well as the station’s This Week in Black History series on its website. She also served as one of three hosts of the Emmy-nominated Georgia Public Broadcasting show, “A Seat at the Table.”

Pearson served as the first African American and only the second woman to chair the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. She has been inducted into the National Association of Black Journalist Hall of Fame, the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame, Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. From 2005-2021, she served on the Board of Jurors for the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards at the University of Georgia. She will be the first African American woman to chair the Board of Jurors in 2022.

Pearson is married and has a daughter and stepson. She lives in Atlanta.