WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Judi Gatson

Judi Gatson

Judi Gatson is anchor of WIS News Live at 5, WIS News at 6 and WIS Nightcast at 11.  Since joining WIS News in November of 1995 she has reported on and anchored from some of the biggest stories around the state.

Judi covered the Democratic primary of the historic presidential election race of 2008, anchoring the WIS News primetime coverage and conducting a series of in-depth interviews with the candidates.  She also covered the Presidential Inauguration live from nation's capitol for Raycom Media. 

Judi is an award-winning journalist on topics ranging from education to consumer issues.  She's moderated statewide gubernatorial debates and interviewed a diverse group of politicians and newsmakers.  She also anchored and produced a documentary exploring the controversy and eventual compromise reached to remove the Confederate Flag from the Statehouse dome.  Judi's extensive coverage of breaking news includes live reports from McClellanville as Hurricane Charley was making landfall.  And in her special report, "Into the Fire" Judi brought viewers a compelling report on the technology used to rescue people faster when she completed fire fighter training and went inside a burning building live to simulate a rescue.  Judi's consumer reports include her popular "Buy It & Try It" series which tests "As Seen on TV" products to see if they really work as advertised. 

As co-anchor or WIS News at 6 Judi has won three Emmy awards for best newscast.  She's also won several Associated Press Awards for Business/Consumer reporting and Education reporting.   Judi's also very involved in the community currently serving on the boards of Healthy Learners, the Palmetto Health South Carolina Cancer Center, Palmetto Center for Women and United Way's Palmetto Society.   She also speaks at many schools and community events and enjoys making regular visits to mentor teenage girls in the transition program at the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Judi majored in Business Management at Georgia Institute of Technology. After getting married in her senior year and becoming a military spouse, she moved to Indianapolis, IN with her husband and transferred to Indiana University – Purdue University.  Upon completing her college internship at WTHR Channel 13 in Indianapolis Judi decided to pursue a career in broadcasting and landed her first job as a reporter for WIS News Radio 1320am.  During her tenure at WIS, Judi has worked as a general assignment reporter, weekend anchor, anchor of WIS Sunrise and producer and host of the Community Affairs program, Awareness. 

Judi is married to Dwayne Gatson, who served 22 years in the military and retired as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army.  The Gatsons are active members of Brookland Baptist Church and live in Columbia with their two labs, Shadow and Spirit.