Kim Saxon

On Sept. 30, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta owned by Gray went on the air branded as “Atlanta News First,” changing its call letters from WGCL to WANF. But living that brand has been going on since Gray took over the station in December, 2021.

Just 10 days into Gray’s ownership of WGCL, the Atlanta-based company wooed Monica Kaufman Pearson out of retirement to join the CBS affiliate. Pearson is well-known in Atlanta for her 37 years as news anchor on WSB, where she was the first Black female evening anchor in the city.

WBTV’s investigative team is leading the charge with the support of the station’s news director to include the entire newsroom in results-focused journalism. “This is a campaign designed to encourage viewers to turn to us when they need someone on their side,” said Robby Thomas, WBTV’s marketing director.