Robin Baumgarten WGN News, Bio, Age, Husband, Career, Salary & Net Worth

Robin Baumgarten Biography

Robin Baumgarten is an American television journalist and longtime WGN Morning News anchor based in Chicago, Illinois. She has built a broadcasting career through local news, traffic reporting, interviews, and morning television. As of 2026, Baumgarten continues to co-anchor WGN Morning News, extending a station career that began in 1996.

Baumgarten grew up in Burbank, Illinois, and developed ties to Chicago’s South Side. She later attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she studied broadcast journalism. She graduated in June 1990 and entered Chicago broadcasting.

Before joining WGN-TV, Baumgarten worked for Shadow Broadcast Services as a radio news and traffic reporter. Her assignments included work connected with WLUP Radio and the Jonathan Brandmeier program. Therefore, she gained experience covering transportation and fast-moving local stories.

Baumgarten joined WGN-TV in 1996 as an airborne traffic reporter and transportation reporter. Her responsibilities expanded as the morning newscast grew. In 2004, she became a morning anchor after WGN expanded its early programming. She later assumed broader anchoring duties as the program extended its schedule.

Today, Baumgarten co-anchors alongside Larry Potash and remains central to WGN’s morning lineup. She also contributes Chicago-focused features, interviews, lifestyle segments, and stories connected with local communities. Moreover, her conversational style and quick humor have become familiar parts of the program.

Her journalism career has earned multiple honors, including three Emmy Awards. One Emmy recognized coverage of the 1997 Chicago Bulls championship celebration. Another honored her individual on-camera work in 2002.

Beyond television, Baumgarten has often discussed her family life and experiences raising her daughters. However, her professional identity remains linked with Chicago broadcasting. After three decades at WGN, Robin Baumgarten remains one of the station’s longest-serving morning news personalities.

Robin Baumgarten Age | How Old Is Robin Baumgarten?

Robin Baumgarten is 62 years old as of September 2026. She was born on November 7, 1963, in Burbank, Illinois. Baumgarten grew up in the Chicago area before building her career in local television journalism. Moreover, her age reflects more than three decades of professional broadcasting experience. She joined WGN-TV in 1996 and later became a prominent WGN Morning News anchor. Despite her long television career, Baumgarten remains active in Chicago broadcasting in 2026. Her birthday falls under the Scorpio zodiac sign.

Robin Baumgarten Height | How Tall Is Robin Baumgarten?

Robin Baumgarten stands approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall, or 1.65 meters. Her height also equals about 165 centimeters. Baumgarten maintains a confident presence while anchoring WGN Morning News in Chicago. Moreover, her height complements her familiar on-camera appearance and professional presentation. The longtime journalist has worked at WGN-TV since 1996. At 5 feet 5 inches, Robin Baumgarten falls near the average height for American women. Additionally, she continues appearing regularly on Chicago television while building her longstanding career in morning news.

Robin Baumgarten Education

Robin Baumgarten attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she studied broadcast journalism and graduated in June 1990. Her college education gave her a strong foundation in reporting, writing, interviewing, and television production. Moreover, the program prepared her for a professional career in Chicago media. After graduation, Baumgarten worked in radio news and traffic reporting before moving into television. She later joined WGN-TV in 1996, where she expanded her experience as a reporter and anchor. Therefore, Robin Baumgarten’s education in broadcast journalism played an important role in shaping her career. Her academic background also supported her growth into a respected WGN Morning News anchor and longtime Chicago television personality.

Robin Baumgarten Husband | Is Robin Baumgarten Married?

Robin Baumgarten’s husband is Scott Trost, a former college basketball coach. Baumgarten previously referred to him as “Mr. X” while keeping their relationship relatively low-key. However, she announced their engagement in June 2022 after Scott proposed. The couple later married, marking a new chapter in Baumgarten’s personal life. Scott Trost built his career in college basketball and spent many years coaching at Lewis University in Illinois. Before marrying Scott, Baumgarten was married to television news executive Matt Piacente. Robin and Matt share two daughters, Anna Piacente and Mary Piacente, but their marriage ended in divorce. Today, Robin Baumgarten and Scott Trost maintain a quieter relationship while she continues her longtime career with WGN-TV.

Robin Baumgarten First Husband | Who was Robin Baumgarten’s First Husband?

Robin Baumgarten’s first husband was Matt Piacente, a television news producer and executive with extensive experience in Chicago broadcasting. The former couple shared careers in the television industry and later started a family together. During their marriage, Robin and Matt welcomed two daughters, Anna and Mary Piacente. However, their relationship eventually ended in divorce. Matt continued building his television career after their separation, including leadership roles in local news organizations. Meanwhile, Robin focused on raising their daughters while advancing her career at WGN-TV. She later found love again and married Scott Trost, a former college basketball coach. Therefore, Matt Piacente remains best known as Robin Baumgarten’s first husband and the father of her two children.

Robin Baumgarten Children

Robin Baumgarten has two children, daughters Anna Piacente and Mary Piacente. She shares both daughters with her former husband, Matt Piacente. Baumgarten has occasionally spoken about motherhood while balancing family life with her demanding television career. Moreover, her daughters grew up while she continued building her long-running role at WGN-TV in Chicago. Robin has kept most details about Anna and Mary away from constant public attention. Her daughters remain an important part of her personal story. Today, Robin Baumgarten’s children are adults, while she continues working on WGN Morning News. Her family life adds another dimension to her longtime public career.

Robin Baumgarten Family| Parents and Siblings

Robin Baumgarten comes from a close-knit Chicago family with strong ties to Illinois and the University of Illinois. Her mother is Dolores Reis Baumgarten, who also attended the University of Illinois system. Robin grew up as the youngest of three children and has two siblings. Her sister, Becky Baumgarten Weslow, also attended the University of Illinois and later worked in education. Moreover, Robin’s extended family includes several Illinois alumni, creating a longstanding family tradition. She also grew up with strong South Side Chicago roots, which influenced her connection to local communities. Robin later built her own family with daughters Anna and Mary Piacente. Today, Robin Baumgarten’s family background remains closely linked with Chicago, education, and her longtime broadcasting career.

Robin Baumgarten Career | WGN Morning News Anchor and Journalism Journey

Robin Baumgarten has built a broadcasting career spanning more than three decades, with most of her success coming at WGN-TV. She began her professional career at Shadow Broadcast Services in Chicago. There, she worked as a traffic, news, and sports reporter for WLUP Radio. She also reported traffic for CLTV News and completed freelance work with ABC Sports.

In 1996, Baumgarten joined WGN-TV as an airborne traffic reporter and transportation reporter. However, her responsibilities quickly expanded as the morning program grew. In 2004, she became the solo anchor of WGN Morning News at 5 a.m. Later that year, she moved into a larger anchoring role from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. When WGN expanded its morning show again in 2013, Baumgarten extended her anchoring duties.

She now co-anchors WGN Morning News from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Moreover, she regularly covers Chicago stories, community features, and lifestyle segments. Her work has earned multiple Emmy Awards, including recognition for on-camera excellence and major local news coverage. As of 2026, Robin Baumgarten remains a prominent WGN Morning News anchor and longtime Chicago television journalist.

Robin Baumgarten Awards

Robin Baumgarten has earned several Emmy Awards during her long career as a Chicago television journalist. Her honors recognize individual broadcasting excellence and her contributions to major WGN-TV news coverage. Moreover, Baumgarten has shared awards with the WGN Morning News team for outstanding local programming. Her recognized work includes major Chicago sports celebrations and morning newscasts. These achievements highlight her versatility as an anchor, reporter, and television personality.

Robin Baumgarten’s notable awards include:

• 1997 Emmy Award – Coverage of the Chicago Bulls Championship Rally.
• 2002 Emmy Award – Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera.
• 2014 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award – Morning newscast coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory.
• 2020 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award – WGN Morning News team programming recognition.

Therefore, her awards reflect decades of respected work in Chicago broadcasting.

Robin Baumgarten Salary

Robin Baumgarten earns an estimated annual salary between $80,000 and $110,000 from her broadcasting career. Her primary income comes from her longtime role as a WGN Morning News anchor in Chicago. Baumgarten joined the station in 1996 and has gained significant experience during her long tenure. Therefore, her earnings likely reflect her seniority, broadcasting responsibilities, and established position within Chicago television. Moreover, veteran anchors in major media markets can command higher salaries than less experienced journalists. Robin Baumgarten’s salary also reflects her work as an anchor, reporter, interviewer, and television personality. As of 2026, her estimated earnings remain closely connected to her continued role with WGN-TV.

Robin Baumgarten Net Worth

Robin Baumgarten’s net worth is estimated between $800,000 and $3 million as of 2026. Her financial success stems mainly from nearly three decades in Chicago television journalism. Baumgarten joined WGN-TV in 1996 and steadily advanced into a leading morning anchor role. That longevity has provided consistent earnings throughout her broadcasting career. Additionally, her experience, Emmy recognition, and prominent position likely strengthen her overall earning power. Baumgarten also purchased a home in Lemont, Illinois, for about $783,000 in 2022. Real estate therefore forms another part of her financial picture. Overall, Robin Baumgarten’s wealth reflects long-term career stability, television income, and years of success with WGN Morning News.

Biography Summary