Toni Yates

Yates—a graduate of Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, and Florida State University—started her career in news in Savannah, Georgia, first at WTOC-TV and then at WSAV-TV.{{r|bio}} In 1986,{{r|FTU900515}} she joined the staff of WTLV in Jacksonville as weekend anchor; she departed WTLV in 1987 when she got married and moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia.{{Cite news |date=1987-12-02 |title=New TV channel to start mid-December |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/cgnprqfsoenpzztdtqdxvwfuebbkdaen_ip-10-166-46-86_1739071291584 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=The Florida Times-Union |page=D-3 |first=Nancy |last=McAlister |publication-place=Jacksonville, Florida |via=GenealogyBank.com}} While in Virginia, she was the communications director for the local chapter of the March of Dimes. After three years in Virginia, she returned to Jacksonville in 1990 to be a weekend anchor at WJXT.{{Cite news |date=1990-05-15 |title=TV-4 names new weekend co-anchors |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/rycrligtwyjsqfmdncjfekvnrdbvsxdt_ip-10-166-46-132_1739073774762 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=Florida Times-Union |page=E-2 |publication-place=Jacksonville, Florida |via=GenealogyBank.com}} She departed a year later in order to be closer to her husband, Arthur Fennell, then an anchor at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia.{{Cite news |date=1991-06-29 |title=Godbold, Hazouri and Austin all on tube this week |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/mlgftaohqxtwrvgijlyjbxicwqdvlhca_ip-10-166-46-190_1739073744547 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=Florida Times-Union |page=D-6 |first=Nancy|last=McAlister |publication-place=Jacksonville, Florida |via=GenealogyBank.com}}

After a year as a night news reporter for WGAL-TV in nearby Lancaster,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-patriot-news-floridian-to-join-wgal/165040584/|date=April 23, 1993|page=C11|first=Barry|last=Fox|title=Floridian to join WGAL-TV team|newspaper=The Patriot-News|location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}} she was hired as reporter for the startup Inquirer News Tonight newscast aired by WPHL-TV in Philadelphia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-kitsch-nostalg/165040646/|date=August 13, 1994|page=D12|first=Manuel|last=Mendoza|title=Kitsch nostalgia spreads with Snyder's return|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}} Yates also served as weekend anchor until 1995, when she was promoted to the weeknight newscasts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news-inquirer-news/163567796/|date=October 26, 1995|page=39|title='Inquirer News' weighs new anchors|first=Mark|last=de la Viña|newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 21, 2025}} When WPHL-TV assumed control of the newscast at the end of 1996, it went to a single-anchor format and moved Yates back to weekends.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-inquirer-news/148520950/|date=December 28, 1996|page=D8|first=Gail|last=Shister|title='Inquirer News' will end sooner than expected|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 21, 2025}}

Yates and Fennell amicably divorced in 1998 after having two daughters.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-for-ex-spouses/165044533/|date=April 3, 2000|page=C8|first=Gail|last=Shister|title=For ex-spouses on anchor desk, the only battle is for ratings|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}} Yates later had a third child{{cite web |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=resources/inside_station/newsteam&id=5771968 |title=Toni Yates |lang=en |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=WABC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604041116/http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=resources%2Finside_station%2Fnewsteam&id=5771968 |archive-date=2011-06-04}} after marrying Philadelphia firefighter Chuck Harvey.

Yates worked for WPHL-TV until December 31, 2004, after which she exited when contract renewal talks failed.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-jon-stewarts/165045049/|date=January 6, 2005|pages=D1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-cnn-to-shrink/165045004/ D8]|first=Gail|last=Shister|title=Jon Stewart's right: Cool-off at 'Crossfire'|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}} In July 2006, she was hired as New Jersey reporter for WABC-TV;{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-brush-with-death-shows-the-da/165044737/|date=July 21, 2006|pages=114, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-risky-business/165044763/ 115]|first=Richard|last=Huff|title=Brush with death shows the danger of a risky business|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York, New York|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}} she had been living in New Jersey since her time at WGAL.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/york-daily-record-local-bands-dont-auto/165040607/|date=May 25, 1993|page=1D|first=Beth|last=Snyder|title=Local bands don't automatically make local airwaves|newspaper=York Daily Record|location=York, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 9, 2025}}

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Category:American television news anchors

Category:New York (state) television reporters

Category:Living people

Category:1963 births

Category:Mass media people from Jacksonville, Florida

Category:Florida State University alumni

Category:Bishop Kenny High School alumni

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