• Toni Yates was born in 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida
• She attended Florida State University, graduating in 1985 with a BA in communication
• Her career started in Savannah, Georgia with a job at WTOC, and she has worked at many networks and channels since then
• She is now a co-anchor for “Eyewitness News” on Saturday and Sunday mornings
• Her net worth is estimated to be around $1 million, with an annual salary of over $100,000



Toni Yates is a popular reporter and anchor, who now serves at ABC 7NY and can be seen every morning hosting a news show along with her colleagues. She has vast experience in reporting, as she’s worked at many networks and channels. Let’s find out more about her family, kids, net worth, etc.

Early life and family

Toni Yates was born on 28 November 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida USA, so under the sign of Sagittarius and holding American nationality. Her father is Alton Yates, a former member of the US Air Force; her mother’s name is unavailable at the moment; it is known that they are still alive and live together, as Toni regularly posts their photos on her Instagram account. Toni once shared there was a situation which inspired her to become a reporter – when she was in the 6th grade, her parents were interviewed by a local TV channel, and the reporter came to their house.

Toni was impressed by the fact that the reporter was an African American woman, who held the interview so professionally and smoothly that she instantly decided to follow that way and become a reporter too. Toni has two sisters named Michelle and Sade; she often sees her sister Sade in New Jersey, when she comes to visit her, but her sister Michelle works early mornings, so they don’t catch up as often as they would like.

Educational background

Toni attended Bishop Kenny High School, matriculating in 1981, then enrolling at Florida State University, graduating in 1985 with a BA in communication. She is still an activist supporting the foundations providing affordable education to young girls and women all over the world, especially in the countries which lack proper gender-leveling conditions.

Career

Right after graduating Toni started her reporting career in Savannah, Georgia with a job at WTOC, and worked there for more than a yea, before joining the team of WSAV in the position of a weekend anchor. She also worked at her hometown station WTLV. holding the same position of a reporter and anchor, then a year later in several projects in the team of WJXT.

In 1997 she got her next job in Norfolk, Virginia, working in the position of the morning news director, also getting her second job there when appointed as the Communications Director for the March of Dimes. Later Toni moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she landed the position of a General Assignment reporter for WGAL. Then for several years she worked for WABC, switching to WB 17 in Philadelphia to hold the position of a weekday anchor.

, Toni can be seen on TV as a co-anchor for “Eyewitness News” on Saturday and Sunday mornings, working in the team with Michelle Charlesworth and Phil Lipof.

Personal life, ex-husband Arthur Fennell, current fiancé Quin

Toni was earlier married to awards-winning reporter and journalist Arthur Fennell, who was the President of National Association of Black Journalists. He received over 70 awards for his dedicated investigations and work, among them the honored “Journalist of the year” in 2009, and “Outstanding News Anchor” Emmy Award in 2006. Even though Arthur and Toni could deeply understand each other, as both were journalists and reporters, they couldn’t keep their marriage together, and eventually divorced not even sharing the reason for their separation. During their marriage they welcomed two daughters, Alexis Naomi Fennell and Sarah Austyn Fennell, and a son, Gabriel Wendell Harvey.

Toni often shares photos of her kids on her Instagram account, congratulating them on their birthdays or on their achievements such as school matriculation or college graduation. She shared that her eldest daughter, Alexis, lived in Argentina and Madrid, speaks Spanish fluently and is a successful law school student.

Current boyfriend Quin

Even though Toni could be totally disappointed with the married life because of her failure with her first husband, she could have closed her heart to new affairs, but didn’t. She admitted in several posts on her Instagram account that her boyfriend named Quin is now her fiancé, and he has recently melted her father’s heart with his proposal, bringing the old man to tears. She also shared  that he’s a former US Army JAG Officer, and Georgetown Law graduate.

Toni Yates

He has two daughters from his previous marriage, and according to Toni’s posts on her Twitter in 2018, they spend their spare time with all the children they have in both families. However, the precise date of their future wedding hasn’t been announced yet.

Hobbies, favorite things and interesting facts

Toni is still an honored member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She hosted the Philadelphia’s 5th Annual Black Gay Pride anchoring the opening reception for WB 17 News. She also admitted that she follows her heart when she attends various charity events and donates to foundations, though she opines that some celebrities do it only because society waits for them to do so.

Toni likes to share the stories about people who can help others not even having any fame or impressive wealth; she once shared a story of a black surgeon from Baltimore, Maryland, who overcame all the difficulties of his criminal youth to become a doctor, who later saved the life of an eight-year-old girl – Toni was invited to watch the surgeon performing the operation that required half of the girl’s brain to be removed in order to save her life. She was deeply impressed with the ability of the doctor to work 14 hours without having any break; Toni also happily shared the girl who was operated on later became a college graduate.

Toni said that such stories make her think she had made the right choice in her career in becoming a reporter and journalist, as she could tell such stories to people all over the world so they could know their real heroes.

Social media presence

Toni is very active on various social media platforms, as she has several profiles. Her Instagram account is posted on quite often, selfies for several years in a row, which she shots with her fingers making the V sign. No one knows why she does it all the time, but her fans often make jokes on how similar she looks on her selfies. Toni also has a Twitter profile, while her Facebook page is ‘liked’ by over 23,000 users.

Appearance, clothing style

Toni has long dark brown hair which she likes to highlight with bleached strands, often wearing it loosely curled; she has hazel eyes. Toni is 5ft 6ins (1.68) tall, weighs about 132lbs (60 kgs) – vital statistics of 37-26-36. As to her clothing style, she prefers feminine looks, and wears short dresses, V-neck blouses, skirts and high heels, often with sunglasses.

Net worth and salary

According to authoritative sources, Toni’s net worth is estimated to be over  $1 million, as of mid-2024, while her annual salary is reported to be over $100,000. As Toni is a very experienced reporter and anchor, her net worth continues to grow as she’s signed to new projects at the WABC network.

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As a Freelance Writer at Biography Pedia, I oversee the full writing process, from in-depth research to the development of compelling narratives, ensuring accuracy and excellence in our output. Our goal is to produce insightful profiles that deeply explore the lives of prominent figures in business, entertainment, and other fields. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, we spotlight the significant journeys and achievements of individuals who captivate and inspire our readers.

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