Iola Johnson

Iola Johnson was the first African-American journalist to anchor at a television station in the Southwest. She was co-anchor at Dallas' ABC affiliate WFAA-TV from the mid 1970s until the mid 1980s. Iola instantly clicked with viewers and her presence helped catapult WFAA to national prominence.

After resigning from WFAA in March 1985, Iola left television news, resurfacing several years later as a morning drive news reporter for The Tom Joyner Morning Show on KKDA-FM. In 1988, Iola left Dallas/Fort Worth to anchor the news atKTVI the ABC affiliate in St. Louis with Kevin Cokely(who currently anchors weekends on KXAS TV in Dallas-Fort Worth). Because of continued health problems caused by a car accident, she soon returned to the Metroplex to become the morning drive reporter at KKDA-AM radio a Black-Oldies station in Grand Prairie, Texas.

In September 2000, Iola chose to return to television news to help launch a new hour long newscast at 4pm on KTVTCBS 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth with longtime friend and former WFAA colleague Tracy Rowlett. After two years,Tracy and Iola left the 4pm newscast and were replaced by anchors Jody Dean and Maria Arita. Iola still remains one of the most recognized radio/tv personalities in Dallas/Ft.Worth. She is the former host of "Positively Texas" (a weekly public affairs television show that aired on TXA 21, a CBS Affiliate).