Monica Pearson as guest DJ at Dave FM
Monica and Mara
Monica Pearson took to the airwaves in a new way today.
She joined 92.9 Dave FM’s Mara Davis during Davis’ “Radio Free Lunch” during the noon hour. She actually got there a little bit after RFL started, because an earlier speaking engagement ran long.
She called in as Davis began the program to apologize for running late. She stressed she was obeying the speed limit and speaking on a hands-free phone.
Davis jokingly asked if Pearson’s husband John Pearson, retired from DeKalb County law enforcement, could get her out of a traffic ticket. Answer: heck no!
“We have one rule: we follow all the rules,” Pearson noted.
Davis often has guest DJs in to spin a few tunes. Pearson’s guest stint was extra special, as she will be retiring next week after 37 years at Channel 2.
“TV is not going to be the same without Monica Pearson,” Davis said.
Since announcing her retirement earlier this year Pearson has enjoyed accolades from all corners of the city and beyond. Here’s a gallery of photos from an event at the Fox Theatre saluting her long broadcast career and community involvement.
None of the festivities has been Pearson’s idea. Quite the opposite, in fact. When she told station brass she was signing off for good she suggested maybe there could be a staff lunch and that was it. She told us last week during the Fox event that she initially resisted when the idea was proposed.
“I’m glad they didn’t listen!” she said.
- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com
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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
93 comments Add your comment
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
12:08 pm
Wow, if they’re doing all this for Monica, I can’t wait to see the send-off for Boortz.
On air in atlanta for 41 years. The guy is incredible! He will truly be missed.
“The high priest of the church of the painful truth”
Undisputed King of Atlanta media.
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
12:12 pm
And who could forget;
” am the two greatest things in this city”
Priceless.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
12:22 pm
I guess Capt. Midnight and Fan are both too dense to realize that #1 Foxy Lady is likely a (racist) White person (poorly) attempting to portray themselves as the stereotypical ignorant Black person. Again, this is something that is quite obvious to Black people as it is evident when you consider the context of the statement as well as the “trying way too hard” portrayal. It really is a blow to Whites rather than Blacks though, which is what has ALWAYS been so funny to us, because it speaks to the deep deep character flaws that exist in the mindset of that type of person. Yes, we actually laugh… at YOU! Betcha didn’t know that, did you?
Pandora
July 18th, 2012
12:28 pm
I wish you all the best Mrs. Pearson.
Chuck Snow
July 18th, 2012
12:41 pm
Ya gotta love Monica she’s the heartbeat of Atlanta. I’m sure she’ll enjoy retirement as much as I have. She’ll have time to enjoy her hobbies, travel and do exactly as she pleases 24/7. My only regret is that I couldn’t have done it 40 years sooner.
I hope she’ll follow Guy Sharps lead and just disappear into her own wishes.My only regret is that I couldn’t have done it 40 years sooner. I hope she’ll move on and never look back.
Monique
July 18th, 2012
12:41 pm
I like Monica. However, I agree with the people that say that WSB has focused on the retirement for too long. The people who are attacking people on here as “haters” completely miss the point. They miss the fact that it is like a typical local TV broadcast, with the same 15 minutes of programming repeated into a couple hour broadcast. For those that are in journalism, we ask that if you are intelligent enough to understand then learn to create and not just regurgitate the same garbage, which is what WSB is doing.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
12:51 pm
I know I seem “racist” Ted. It’s what people like you pin on people like me who point out the obvious when it rears it’s ugly head. Much like when holy water was thrown on the devil possessed “Ragan” as her head swiveled on her body, she screamed “IT BURNS!” That’s how you feel LOL.. And nice try claiming to be “Black” as if to somehow give yourself credibility. Actually, I’m a White guy using a “Black” online persona. I figure it draws to strongest reaction to the things I say. Works pretty well huh?
James
July 18th, 2012
12:56 pm
There is nothing racist with some of us getting tired of the constant droning about Monica’s retirement. We just want it to be over. Please, please let it be over.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
1:09 pm
@James
If you TRULY want it to be “over”, get the HELL off the blog concerning her!! But that’s just it, you CAN’T…because you and your buddies cannot contain your hatred! LOL!!!! Good for you.
ed
July 18th, 2012
1:17 pm
Maybe after this lively discussion WSB will put as much promotional effort behind the going away party for the Mighty Whitey. Black, white, or whatever the shade of complexion we enjoy firing good natured barbs at the regulars on local tv. I’m not sure Humman is going to work as the wake up sound for Atlanta that Boortz is, but at least a voice of sanity will continue to warm the kilocycles, and drown out these uneducated liberals who are the destruction of this once great city and nation.
dre
July 18th, 2012
1:29 pm
I for one am curious to see what Monica’s spin will be on the latest Michael Bolton recording….heh heh heh.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
1:29 pm
Hmm… so Atlanta-Fulton = “uneducated liberal”
Let’s see, if this is but ONE of Georgia’s 159 counties, what’s the excuse then for the state of Georgia being the —pit that it is, considering it is arguably the REDDEST state in the country? I already know the answer by the way.
Positive Cynic
July 18th, 2012
1:33 pm
Good or Bad. WSB and Monica are doing what is best for them. No one can really fault either. Monica employer paid her well and she did it for 37 years. She got tired of it and wants to spend time with her husband while still staying active to some degree in the employment force. Nothing indicates that Monica is going to stay home all day doing something like watching daytime TV.
WSB noticed that her prime time close ups were getting good ratings and that like Oprah she has a following that crosses racial lines. I expect and hope to see Monica doing primetime close ups like just two a year over the summer with one that feature Georgia people and another that features more national people. I could really do not care if Monica is retiring, but I think Monica would be an ideal vehicle for a network to use to interview some Georgia people (especially in business) that I would never get an opportunity to hear.
For example, I would not mind hear the CEO of UPS give his opinion on what the federal government needs to do to save the USPS and if he thinks the government should save it. CEO of UPS used to be a high official with the Federal Reserve Bank so some good questions can develop on the economy. High pay of CEO’s is a good topic. I do not know if the CEO of UPS would do an interview but I am sure several major professional individuals would do interviews.
Monica might be just another publicity hound in our society, but unlike others she has the ability to put her publicity to good use. Anytime anyone interviews someone on TV that has made some “real” accomplishments in life and is doing real work rather than who was voted out of the house by a group of self obsessed people are society is a better place.
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
If she tried to be any more flamboyant, I think she’d actually flash on and off. I mean you had Wes Sargenson and John Pruitt in business suits and “Monny” in feather boas. Seriously? Look at Amanda Davis and Brenda Wood. Professional. Monny was one sequin away from going on tour with Ru Paul. LOL!!
dre
July 18th, 2012
1:49 pm
haha- PoorJennifer. If she were to post something about jelly donuts, it would still turn into a race fest. LOL. “Atlanta, the city too busy to hate….except when trying to engage in a dialogue with another human.” haha
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
2:19 pm
(Laughing at Capt. Midnight …again). Must be a God awful pitiful existence. I wonder if he hides behind that whole “Christianity” thing? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
2:53 pm
Yes Truthy, Atlanta does equal uneducated liberals, cept when they test scores get to erasin/changin’. “Then we as smart as all them little white kids in Fayette.”
mamaj
July 18th, 2012
3:02 pm
@ #1 Foxy Lady.
You have got yo be kidding. What the h@!! are you talking about? Your comments make about as much sense as the missing capital letters in them. You have absolutely no right to make ANY negative comments about anybody or anything, until you learn how to correctly write a sentence!.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
3:02 pm
Ok so the question REMAINS Capt. Midnight..
159 counties in the VERY RED (that’s “Conservative” by the way) —-pit state that is Georgia. Deflection is cool and all…unless you are dealing with someone who readily calls Bull—-. I’m waiting, patiently for an explanation. Monica is great by the way. Thought I’d bring it back to that, just for relevance’s sake.
Goodbye already
July 18th, 2012
3:13 pm
Uh…JB, whre’s my previous post (~9:30 or so this AM)!? And, Monica is not the “heartbeat of Atlanta.” We all will keep living and breathing just fine.
wbswow
July 18th, 2012
3:21 pm
When John Pruitt was leaving (his last day). WSB-TV did not even let the BEST TV Newsman EVER in Atlanta get his last word in before they cut him off. I hope others remember this. And we get a six month, yes! A six month long good-bye to Monica. Yes, She did a great job but ENOUGH already! I knew when she said she was leaving in Feb it would be this way. Please…Just go out with a little grace about yourself. This is running it into the ground!!!!!!!
alphadog
July 18th, 2012
3:22 pm
All of you must understand that Monica is part of the history of the city of Atlanta, and not necessarily all of the suburban, and exurban, communities filled with transplants that WSB-TV reaches. I don’t watch her newscasts, will not participate in the retirement festivities and will be glad when its over. However I do appreciate her talent, community involvement and longevity in a very tough business.
ICE
July 18th, 2012
3:25 pm
IT’S ALL GOOD TAKE A CHILL PILL
byebye
July 18th, 2012
3:28 pm
You did a good job! But PLEASE, just leave. And you can keep your new degree studies to yourself too! People are getting degrees every day.
mamaj
July 18th, 2012
3:32 pm
Monica Kaufman Pearson is Atlanta royalty. She is loved by her peers, MANY people in the city of Atlanta and beyond, and she deserves every bit of the accolades and attention that she is getting right now. The way I see it, she knows about all of the hateful people and the comments they make about her, but she has NEVER let them stop her from being who she was destined to be. Monica has done so much good, it outweighs any of the nasty comments and all of the bad hair days she had along the way. And for all of you that don’t like her and are tired of seeing all the praise that she is getting–TURN THE CHANNEL–it works every time.
agreeabout
July 18th, 2012
3:36 pm
The John Pruitt comment. They should bring him back on her last day and let him be the last one to tell her,bye & also make sure he has the last word before they sign off. It did seem like they did him a little dirty when he was leaving. But I would be willing to bet he did not want it to be a really big deal. He just seemed that way. And yes, he was the best.
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
3:41 pm
Truthy baby, to answer the question that you’ve been so “patiently” been waiting for it’s called averages honey.When you have a concentration of a population living in a certain area and they’re all stupid, it pulls everybody else down with them. You need look no further than Fulton, Atlanta (when the scores arn’t fradulent)Dekalb,Clayton,Bibb and so on. Look at Detroit,Chicago,Memphis,Atlanta,D.C. and I could go on. Wanna guess what all of these municipalities have in common? I bet you can. Hope this clears it up for you Truthy.
heymamaj
July 18th, 2012
3:46 pm
hateful people,nasty comments? I think most people agree she did a great job. But like one person said, does it take six months to tell a person, see ya later and thanks? Half a year to say she is leaving. jezz! If this is not a “hey look at me” I don’t know what is. royalty? please
Pearson Of Interest
July 18th, 2012
3:51 pm
While I agree that all the hype surrounding her retirement has gotten old, I still think Monica deserves kudos for all she has done for this city, and for journalists in general. Also, if you read the article, she actually declined the Fox celebration initially, which shows some humility on her part. I’ve never met the woman (though I’d love to), but she seems genuine to me (OK, except for the hair!). Plus, she’s my homegirl: We’re both from Louisville, KY! I wish her all the best.
ByeByeMonica
July 18th, 2012
4:08 pm
I did like Monica. However, WSB has drug this out for 6 months of self congratulations. I am sorry, but she was a well paid news reader. It is only because of her ego that we have been forced to put up with six months.
TruthyLies
July 18th, 2012
4:10 pm
TruthLies is Monica or her publicist.
CD
July 18th, 2012
4:17 pm
Rough crowd. Summer heat must be making most commenters grumpy!
No not really CD
July 18th, 2012
4:40 pm
I think folks are just sick of the “over the top” good byes. What about the guys that help build wsbtv into what it is today? No way guys like, Ray Moore or Don McClellan would have talked about their retirement “on air” for six solid months. And this is NOT a racist thing, this is a “PLEASE hurry the heck up with this and get it OVER thing, at this point”.
Ronj
July 18th, 2012
4:46 pm
If you want to know why Monica is so revered at WSB, then check her ratings dominance during here tenure and her active involvement in numerous worthy community efforts. She’s respected for her performance and after all, TV news IS A BUSINESS.
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
4:50 pm
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyymmnnnn @Captain Midnight!!!
If I didn’t know ANY BETTER, I would say you have just displayed the ULTIMATE hypocrisy!! Please LET ME CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO your playing of the “LIBERAL” card!! You know… that one WHERE YOUR TYPE IS ALWAYS throwing barbs at “liberals” who “BLAME THEIR FAILURES ON OTHERS???” Did I read correctly when you say it’s the “law of averages” (all Atlanta-Fulton’s fault) that Georgia and its ENTIRE slew of 159 counties is a P.O.S.??? Yeah, the Black folks in 1 out of 159 counties makes GA a P.O.S huh?? It’s all “their” fault. Newsflash. Little Jimmy Lee is dumb as a box of rocks too, but he sure can shoot .22 rifle with tight groupings though. Laughable
TruthLies
July 18th, 2012
5:05 pm
And finally Captain Midnight, you have proven my point 100 times over. We know where your problem really lies. You made it clear in your last post (as if you didn’t in all the others). Yeah, as if White folks are soooo gifted and smart. I want to leave you with something. Too often White folks’ “accomplishments” (just like people of other races) are this:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/utah-man-confessional-obituary-owns-life-pranks-180934687.html
Difference is, when it’s a White person, it is shrugged off as humor or harmless. It’s always justified, much like the @$$h01e who shot up 18 people in AL. Oh, he’s a “troubled guy,”, “lost his job”,etc. Let’s get the pity party going won’t we? many Whites slug and cheat their way through life just like others do. You spotless view of yourself prevents you from acknowledging it though. And for the record, I’m no publicist or other affiliate of MKP. I’m just a sap out here just like everyone else doing my part to make some corporate fat cat rich, while earning a decent living for myself.
TV watcher
July 18th, 2012
5:05 pm
Naysayers, Monica K or P is an institution, plain and simple. WSB may be forgiven for milking her departure. Hey, exploitation is what they do. If you don’t get that, you live under a rock.
She is being feted partially because in our increasingly fractured society there are ever fewer icons. Media fragmentation means there will be no more “Thriller”-sized hit records, no more “M*A*S*H”-sized hit TV shows. We all live in our own media cocoon. And partially because she is Monica, a unique soul and a beloved friend who has been in our living rooms longer and more often than virtually anyone else.
Also, it is worth noting that she broke gender and race barriers with a certain aplomb.
Monica represents the last of a dying breed. I don’t disagree that a school teacher deserves a big send off after 35 years, but the number of discreet impressions that teacher made are by definition substantially smaller and are not shared by an entire community. A community in this case that is 5 million strong. Moreover, the schoolhouse or office can make a big deal out of a favorite regular who retires. There will be an assembly, maybe a tribute dinner, but schools and offices are not television stations with millions of extended family members. I feel as though I’m losing IQ points just having to explain this!
Be gracious and tip your hat–regardless of what you think of her as a journalist–to a pioneer defined a position and then held it down credibly over an entire career. It’s worth celebrating.
Captain Midnight
July 18th, 2012
5:37 pm
Truthy, what point have you made other than your belief that Georgia is a POS?
“Georgia is a P.O.S yall! blah, blah blah…
Good point..
If you dont like it here then move. Chicago perhaps?
Mabe you’ll get to meet Oprama.
mamaj
July 18th, 2012
7:19 pm
Is it a coincidence that people want Monica to hurry up and get off the air, but praise news people like John Pruitt, Ray Moore, Don McClellan and Wes Sargenson, for they are supposedly what made WSB-TV what it is today? All of those people certainly had a hand in WSB-TV’s success, just like Monica, but it’s the fact that all of them are white men. It’s ludicrous to think that only someone of Caucasian persuasion is smart enough, or good enough, or deserving enough to be in a job where not many other groups have the opportunity to tread. It is ridiculously disheartening, and sad (but true), to think that ANYONE would HAVE to call upon a law like Affirmative Action to “level” a playing field. And we wonder why racism is always thrown around?.
Observer
July 18th, 2012
11:02 pm
Kudos to you Monica! You have been in the homes of millions of Atlantans for many, many years. You are family. Wish you the best and much success in your future endeavors!
Monica Pearson as guest DJ at Dave FM – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Book A Dj Now
July 19th, 2012
1:24 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
lessthanaweek
July 19th, 2012
6:48 am
run clock run!!!
JILL
July 21st, 2012
11:56 pm
MONICA PEARSON , IAM GOING TO MISS WATCHING YOU ON WSB. THE BEST NEWS ANCHOR. I AM FROM GA. YOU ARE A SWEET AND WONDERFUL PERSON. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. ENJOY SLEEPING LATE, AND JUST TAKE IT EASY.