Iola Vivian Johnson was the first African-American news anchor for a Dallas television station.

Johnson was born in Texarkana, Arkansas

Texarkana, Arkansas

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...

. One of her first professional positions was with NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 affiliate KVOA

KVOA

KVOA is a full-service NBC-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 23 from its transmitter on Mount Bigelow, northeast of Tucson. Per FCC regulations, the station identifies itself on television tuners as channel 4 through PSIP...

 in Tucson, Arizona where she wrote for the 10 o'clock news.

In 1973, she took a position with WFAA in Dallas, and debuted as a weekend news anchor there in May of that year. In 1975, she and Tracy Rowlett began a ten year run as co-anchors. Together, their news program was the most successful in Dallas-Fort Worth television history. Johnson remained at WFAA-TV for more than 12 years.

Johnson is the former host of "Positively Texas" (a weekly public affairs television show that aired on TXA 21 KTXA

KTXA

KTXA, virtual channel 21 , is an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. With its transmitter in Cedar Hill, KTXA is owned by CBS Corporation and is the sister station of CBS outlet KTVT .KTXA was originally an...

, CBS 11's sister station and former UPN

UPN

United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...

 affiliate).

In 1985, Johnson left her anchor position with WFAA-TV to start her own business. (Her last night on WFAA-TV being March 2, 1985.) After working for a short time in St. Louis, she returned to Dallas to work as a reporter for a morning show on KKDA in Dallas.

In September 2000, Johnson chose to return to television news to help launch a new hour long newscast at 4pm on KTVT

KTVT

KTVT, virtual channel 11, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area. The station is co-owned with independent station KTXA , and the two stations share facilities in Dallas and Fort Worth...

 CBS 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth with longtime friend and former WFAA colleague Tracy Rowlett

Tracy Rowlett

Charles Tracy Rowlett , known professionally as Tracy Rowlett, is an American journalist, formerly anchor and managing editor of the CBS owned and operated station in Dallas-Fort Worth, KTVT, CBS11....

. After two years, Tracy and Iola left the 4pm newscast and were replaced by anchors Jody Dean and Maria Arita.