Robin Baumgarten is an American television news anchor and journalist best known for co-anchoring the WGN Morning News on WGN-TV in Chicago. She has been a familiar face on Chicago television since 1996 and is a three-time Emmy Award winner. The South Side native is also recognized for her warm personality, quick wit, and deep connection to the Chicago community she serves daily from 6 to 10 a.m.
Robin Baumgarten Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Robin Baumgarten Trost |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | November 7, 1963 |
| Age | 62 years old (as of 2026) |
| Place of birth | Burbank, Illinois, United States |
| Current residence | Lemont, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Religion | Christian |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Weight | Approximately 150 lbs (68 kg) |
| Hair colour | Blonde |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Scott Trost |
| Ex-husband | Matt Piacente |
| Children | Two daughters (Anna and Mary Piacente) |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Profession | Television news anchor, journalist |
| Net worth | Approximately $800,000 (estimated) |
Who is Robin Baumgarten?
Robin Baumgarten is a celebrated television news anchor who has spent nearly three decades on Chicago airwaves. She co-anchors the WGN Morning News alongside Larry Potash, Paul Konrad, and Pat Tomasulo.
The show has rated as the number-one morning news program in the Chicago market for over 13 consecutive years.
Born and raised in the south suburb of Burbank, Illinois, Robin is a lifelong Chicagoan with strong ties to the city’s South Side.
Her father, often called the “Tile King of the South Side,” ran a well-known tile business in the area. Robin grew up attending J.B. Kennedy School and made her communion at St. Albert’s.
Robin earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Class of 1990).
She found her calling at the student radio station WPGU, where she served as the morning drive-time news reporter and hosted a Sunday night talk show.
How old is Robin Baumgarten? Age and birthday
Robin Baumgarten is 62 years old as of March 2026. She was born on November 7, 1963, in Burbank, Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago.
Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. Robin celebrates her birthday every year on November 7. Multiple fan pages and community posts have confirmed her birth year as 1963.
Robin Baumgarten’s height, weight, and body measurements
Robin Baumgarten stands approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall and weighs around 150 pounds (68 kg). She has blonde hair and brown eyes.
Her US shoe size is reported to be 9. Robin has been open about her body positivity and maintains a confident on-screen presence regardless of weight fluctuations.
Robin Baumgarten’s career
Early career beginnings
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1990, Robin returned to Chicago and began her broadcasting career at Shadow Broadcast Services.
She worked there from 1990 to 1996 as a traffic, news, and sports reporter. During this period, she reported for WLUP Radio’s Jonathan Brandmeier Show, served as a traffic reporter for CLTV News, and completed a one-year freelance stint with ABC Sports.
Joining WGN-TV
Robin joined WGN-TV in 1996 as the station’s airborne traffic reporter and transportation reporter. She covered Chicago’s streets and highways from a helicopter, giving her a unique vantage point on the city she loves.
One of her most memorable early moments came when she hovered near activist Dan Goodwin as he scaled the John Hancock Building, an event that earned Goodwin the nickname “Spider-Man.”
Rise to the anchor desk
When WGN Morning News expanded to four hours in 2004, Robin became the solo anchor of the 5 a.m. broadcast. She soon transitioned into the main anchor role, covering the 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. time slot.
In 2013, the show expanded once more, and Robin stretched her duties to cover the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. hours, a schedule she maintains to this day.
Awards and recognition
Robin is a three-time Emmy Award winner. She earned her first Emmy in 1997 for her role in covering the Chicago Bulls Championship Rally.
In 2002, she received another Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera. She has been recognized by the Chicago chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on multiple occasions.
Robin is represented by Meister Sports Management for her broadcasting career. She is considered one of Chicago’s most popular and well-known television personalities.
What is Robin Baumgarten’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Robin Baumgarten’s net worth is estimated at approximately $800,000. She earns an estimated annual salary between $80,000 and $110,000 from her position at WGN-TV.
Income sources
Robin built her wealth through her long-running career as a television news anchor at WGN-TV. She has been with the station for nearly 30 years, making her one of the longest-serving morning news anchors in Chicago history.
Her income comes primarily from her WGN-TV salary, media appearances, and speaking engagements.
Real estate
In July 2022, Robin purchased a four-bedroom, 3,314-square-foot home in Lemont, Illinois, for $783,000.
She sold a property in Orland Park around the same time. This real estate activity reflects her stable financial standing after decades in broadcast journalism.
Is Robin Baumgarten married? Husband, dating history, and relationship status
First marriage to Matt Piacente
Robin was first married to Matt Piacente, a Chicago news producer. Matt worked at NBC Chicago and later became the news director at Fox 32 Chicago.
The couple divorced at an undisclosed date, and Robin has kept the details of their split private. They share two daughters together.
The “Mr. X” love story and marriage to Scott Trost
After her divorce, Robin began dating a man she playfully called “Mr. X” on the air and on social media. Viewers were captivated by the mystery, and the nickname became a running joke on WGN Morning News.
In June 2022, Robin announced her engagement on Facebook, writing: “Mr. X is now Mr. Fiancé. Can’t wait for you all to meet him!”
The couple married quietly sometime between 2022 and 2023. The mystery man was eventually revealed as Scott Trost, a retired men’s basketball head coach.
Robin now uses the name Robin Baumgarten Trost in personal settings while keeping Baumgarten professionally.
Who is Scott Trost?
Scott R. Trost, 63, retired in September 2025 after 19 seasons as head men’s basketball coach at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois.
He is the program’s all-time winningest coach with a career record of 485–306 and led the Flyers to five NCAA tournament appearances.
Before Lewis, Scott coached at Elmhurst College and Illinois Wesleyan University. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Robin Baumgarten’s children
Robin has two daughters from her first marriage to Matt Piacente:
- Anna Piacente — Born on July 5, 2002. Anna graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2023 and earned a master’s degree in accountancy in 2024. She is continuing the Baumgarten family tradition as a proud Illini alumna.
- Mary Piacente — Born on July 22, 2004. Mary is currently a student at the University of Illinois, pursuing a career in journalism like her mother. She interned at CBS Evening News in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 2024.
Robin Baumgarten’s family background
Robin comes from a tight-knit South Side Chicago family. Her father, Gary Baumgarten, is affectionately known as the “Tile King of the South Side” for his tile business.
Robin has described him as a man who encouraged his daughters to dream big in an era when that was not always the norm.
Her mother, Dolores Reis Baumgarten, is also a University of Illinois graduate (UIC ’77, MED ’82). Robin has two sisters, including Becky Baumgarten Weslow (University of Illinois ’89 ED), who works as a teacher.
The Baumgarten family has deep roots at the University of Illinois — Robin’s uncles Dean (’72 FAA) and John Baumgarten (’58 BUS) are also Illini graduates, along with Robin’s niece Molly Weslow Barker (’15 ED).
Social media presence
As of March 2026, Robin Baumgarten has approximately 52,000 followers on Instagram (@wgnrobin) and over 121,000 followers on her Facebook page (@WGNrobinbaumgarten).
She uses these platforms to share behind-the-scenes moments from WGN Morning News, family photos, and nostalgic throwback pictures from her childhood in Burbank. She is also active on X (formerly Twitter) at @WGNRobin.
Fast facts about Robin Baumgarten
- Robin started her career in broadcasting from a helicopter, reporting Chicago traffic from the sky.
- She appeared in a tile commercial as a child, starring alongside her father, the “Tile King of the South Side.”
- Robin spent her childhood in Burbank, Illinois, attending J.B. Kennedy School and St. Albert’s Church.
- She found her passion for broadcasting at WPGU student radio while studying at the University of Illinois.
- Robin and her co-anchors have steered WGN Morning News to be Chicago’s top-rated morning show for over 13 straight years.
- Her grandmother lived past the age of 101.
- Both of Robin’s daughters followed the family tradition of attending the University of Illinois.
- Robin’s husband, Scott Trost, retired as the all-time winningest basketball coach at Lewis University in 2025.
- She was famously private about her relationship with Scott, calling him “Mr. X” for years before their marriage.
- Attending the University of Illinois is a multi-generational Baumgarten family tradition spanning parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and daughters.
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Wrapping up
Robin Baumgarten Trost is one of Chicago’s most beloved television personalities, with a broadcasting career spanning nearly 30 years at WGN-TV.
From her roots as a helicopter traffic reporter to her current role as a three-time Emmy Award-winning morning news co-anchor, she remains a trusted voice in Chicago homes every weekday morning.
Off-screen, Robin enjoys life in Lemont, Illinois, with her husband Scott Trost and stays close to her two daughters, Anna and Mary, who are building their own paths in the Illini tradition.
References
- WGN-TV. “Robin Baumgarten | Chicago”.
- University of Illinois Alumni Association. “Family tradition | Robin Baumgarten Trost and her daughters represent a long line of Illinois grads”.
- The Frunchroom. “In the Frunchroom: Robin Baumgarten”.
- IMDb. “Robin Baumgarten – Biography”.
- Chicago Tribune. “WGN-Ch. 9 anchor Robin Baumgarten buys home in Lemont, sells another in Orland Park”.
- Lewis University Athletics. “Trost Retires as Men’s Basketball Head Coach”.
- Robert Feder / Daily Herald. “Matt Piacente named Fox 32 news director”.
- Meister Sports Management. “Robin Baumgarten”.
- Tribune Media. “WGN-TV & Oak Brook Productions Bring Home 10 Emmy Awards”.
- Jobjoining Blog. “Robin Baumgarten Husband: Meet Scott Trost”.
- Wikibioworth. “Robin Baumgarten – Age, Father, Daughters, Wiki, Weight Loss”.
Disclaimer: The information on Star Vistiq is collected from trusted public sources. We strive for accuracy but cannot guarantee completeness of celebrity profiles, net worth estimates, or biographical data. Readers should verify information independently. For corrections or inquiries, contact: info@starvistiq.com.
