Longtime Jacksonville TV Anchor Dawn Lopez Bids Farewell After 25 Years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After more than 25 years on air, Dawn Lopez, a beloved Jacksonville TV anchor, signed off for the final time Thursday morning. Lopez, who co-anchored Action News Jax This Morning and Action News Jax at Noon, announced her departure during her last broadcast on CBS affiliate WJAX-TV 47 and FOX affiliate WFOX-TV 30.

“I’m gonna miss you all,” Lopez told viewers. “But I keep saying, ‘It’s just new chapters, it’s not goodbye.’” Her longtime co-anchor, Phil Amato, celebrated her career and their friendship on air, calling her a “gift” to the community and the station.

Lopez, a Jacksonville native and University of North Florida graduate, has been a fixture on local morning TV since WTEV TV-47 became Jacksonville’s CBS affiliate in July 2002. She is one of the longest-tenured on-air personalities at Action News Jax, providing a steady presence during a period of significant turnover among evening anchors.

Her departure follows other high-profile exits from the station, including evening anchor Ben Bachman, who left in July 2024 after 10 years at Action News Jax and 27 years in TV news. Bachman has since launched a communications company in the area. Earlier in 2024, legendary anchor Tom Wills retired after 49 years at WJXT, and WTLV anchor Bruce Hamilton announced his planned departure in May 2025 after 42 years.

Lopez’s career began at affiliates in Columbus, Georgia, and High Point, North Carolina, before she joined Action News Jax. Reflecting on her time at the station, she told viewers, “What a privilege, what an honor. I thank you for your support.”

As Lopez steps away from the anchor desk, her legacy as a trusted voice in Jacksonville’s morning news landscape remains firmly intact.