National impact

Willis Johnson says there’s something missing from national television on a regular basis, and it’s a matter of perspective. African-American perspective, that is.

Johnson intends to change that soon. His locally produced television show, “IMPACT,” an entertainment, news, and feature show that highlights the involvement of African-Americans in society, has been picked up for syndication by Tony Jones Entertainment.

The show, which now airs locally on Channel 8 at on 11:45 Sunday nights, has covered such broad-ranging topics as the black cowboy, violent crime and youth, female celebrities, breast cancer, and African-Americans in the space program. While it is targeted toward the African-American consumer audience, says Jones, the show “has crossover appeal.” Jones, who is also currently involved with the “Lonesome Dove” TV series, says his goal is to have “IMPACT1 in “the top 25 markets” by the end of next month.

While the show awaits placement into these markets, Johnson continues his personal approach to providing the missing perspective: His morning shows on radio KKDA-AM draw more than 175,000 listeners daily, and Johnson has appeared on Donahue, Good Morning America, 20/20, and CBS This Morning.