Robin Baumgarten is an American television news anchor and journalist who has co-anchored the WGN Morning News on WGN-TV in Chicago since 1996. The three-time Emmy Award winner is a South Side native widely loved for her warmth, quick humour, and storytelling. To viewers, she is the recognisable face waking up Chicago every weekday from 6 to 10 a.m., and the woman who famously kept her now-husband, Scott Trost, a secret as “Mr. X” on air for years.
Robin Baumgarten Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Robin Baumgarten Trost |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | November 7, 1963 |
| Age | 62 years old (as of June 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) approximately |
| Weight | Around 150 lbs (68 kg) |
| Hair colour | Blonde |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Shoe size | 9 (US) approximately |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Scott Trost |
| Ex-husband | Matt Piacente |
| Children | Two daughters – Anna and Mary Piacente |
| Father | Gary Baumgarten |
| Mother | Dolores Reis Baumgarten |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Profession | Television news anchor, journalist |
| Years active | 1990 – present |
| Net worth | Around $800,000 (estimated) |
Who is Robin Baumgarten?
Robin Baumgarten is a Chicago-based morning news anchor whose career on WGN-TV stretches back almost three decades.
She shares the WGN Morning News desk with Larry Potash, Paul Konrad, and Pat Tomasulo, on a programme that has ranked as the city’s number-one morning news show for more than 13 straight years.
Born and raised in Burbank, a south suburb of Chicago, Robin is a lifelong Chicagoan with strong ties to the South Side. Her father, Gary Baumgarten, ran a popular tile business and was nicknamed the “Tile King of the South Side.” Robin even appeared in one of his tile commercials as a child.
She attended J.B. Kennedy School and made her communion at St. Albert’s Church before later earning a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. At university, she discovered her on-air voice at student radio station WPGU.
How old is Robin Baumgarten? Age and birthday
Robin Baumgarten is 62 years old as of June 2026. She was born on November 7, 1963, in Burbank, Illinois, and celebrates her birthday every year on November 7. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio, and she will turn 63 later in 2026.
Robin Baumgarten’s height, weight, and body measurements
Robin stands approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall and weighs around 150 pounds (68 kg). She has blonde hair and brown eyes, and her US shoe size is reported to be around 9.
The anchor has spoken openly about body confidence on air and rarely shies away from poking fun at herself with her co-hosts.
Robin Baumgarten’s career
Early years in Chicago broadcasting
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1990, Robin moved back home and started at Shadow Broadcast Services in Chicago.
From 1990 to 1996, she filed traffic, news, and sports reports for several outlets. She reported on Jonathan Brandmeier’s morning show on WLUP Radio, served as a traffic reporter for CLTV News, and spent a year doing freelance work with ABC Sports.
Joining WGN-TV in 1996
Robin joined WGN-TV in 1996 as the station’s airborne traffic and transportation reporter, covering the Chicago commute from a helicopter.
One memorable moment came when she hovered alongside daredevil Dan Goodwin as he scaled the John Hancock Building, an exploit that earned him the nickname Spider-Man.
Rise to morning anchor
When WGN Morning News expanded to four hours in 2004, Robin became the solo anchor of the 5 a.m. broadcast. She soon stepped up to main anchor for the 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. block.
After another expansion in 2013, she settled into her current 6 to 10 a.m. shift, alongside Larry Potash and Paul Konrad.
Awards and recognition
Robin is a three-time Emmy Award winner from the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
She earned her first Emmy in 1997 for her coverage of the Chicago Bulls Championship Rally, and a 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera. She is represented by Meister Sports Management for broadcasting work.
What is Robin Baumgarten’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Robin Baumgarten’s net worth is estimated at around $800,000. She earns an estimated yearly salary between $80,000 and $110,000 from her role at WGN-TV, although the station has never publicly confirmed the figure.
Income sources
Robin has built her wealth primarily through nearly 30 years of on-air work at WGN-TV, making her one of Chicago’s longest-tenured morning news anchors.
Her income comes mainly from her anchor salary, plus occasional media appearances, hosting gigs, and speaking engagements around the Chicago area.
Real estate
In July 2022, Robin paid $783,000 for a four-bedroom, 3,314-square-foot home in Lemont, Illinois, and sold a previous property in Orland Park around the same time, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. The move reflected a fresh chapter both personally and financially.
Is Robin Baumgarten married? Husband, dating history, and children
First marriage to Matt Piacente
Robin was previously married to Matt Piacente, a Chicago news executive who has worked at NBC Chicago and later served as news director at Fox 32 Chicago.
The pair share two daughters and quietly divorced years before Robin began dating again. She has kept most details of the split private.
The “Mr. X” love story and marriage to Scott Trost
After her divorce, Robin began dating a man she playfully nicknamed “Mr. X” on the air and on social media. Viewers grew fond of the mystery, and the running joke became a fixture on WGN Morning News.
In June 2022, Robin shared on Facebook that “Mr. X is now Mr. Fiancé,” and the couple later married. The mystery man was revealed as Scott Trost, a longtime college basketball coach. In personal settings, Robin now uses the name Robin Baumgarten Trost, while keeping Baumgarten on air.
Who is Scott Trost?
Scott R. Trost retired in September 2025 after 19 seasons as head men’s basketball coach at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois.
He is the programme’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 485–306 and five NCAA tournament appearances. Before Lewis, he coached at Elmhurst College and Illinois Wesleyan University.
Robin Baumgarten’s children
Robin has two daughters from her first marriage to Matt Piacente.
- Anna Piacente – Born July 5, 2002. Anna earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Illinois in 2023 and a master’s in accountancy in 2024.
- Mary Piacente – Born July 22, 2004. Mary is a journalism student at the University of Illinois and interned at CBS Evening News in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2024.
Robin Baumgarten’s family background
Robin grew up in a close-knit South Side Chicago family. Her father Gary Baumgarten ran a well-known tile business in the area, and her mother Dolores Reis Baumgarten is a UIC and University of Illinois graduate.
She has two sisters, including Becky Baumgarten Weslow, a teacher and fellow Illini alumna. The Baumgarten family’s connection to the University of Illinois stretches across parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and now Robin’s own daughters.
Social media presence
As of May 2026, Robin has about 53,000 followers on Instagram (@wgnrobin) and more than 121,000 followers on her Facebook page.
She shares behind-the-scenes WGN moments, throwback photos from Burbank, and family milestones. She is also active on X (formerly Twitter) at @WGNRobin.
Fast facts about Robin Baumgarten
- She started her television career reporting Chicago traffic from a helicopter.
- She appeared in a tile commercial as a child with her father, the “Tile King of the South Side.”
- She grew up in Burbank, Illinois, attending J.B. Kennedy School and St. Albert’s Church.
- She found her broadcasting passion at WPGU student radio at the University of Illinois.
- WGN Morning News has been Chicago’s number-one morning programme for over 13 straight years.
- Her grandmother lived past the age of 101.
- Both of her daughters followed the family tradition of attending the University of Illinois.
- Her husband Scott Trost retired as the all-time winningest basketball coach at Lewis University in 2025.
- She kept her relationship with Scott private for years, calling him only “Mr. X” on air.
- She has won three Emmy Awards during her time at WGN-TV.
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Wrapping up
Robin Baumgarten Trost is one of Chicago’s most cherished television personalities, with a broadcasting run of nearly 30 years at WGN-TV.
From her early days as a helicopter traffic reporter to her current role as a three-time Emmy-winning morning anchor, she has remained a trusted morning companion in Chicago homes. Off-camera, she enjoys family life in Lemont, Illinois, with husband Scott Trost and her two daughters, Anna and Mary.
References
- WGN-TV. “Robin Baumgarten | Chicago”.
- University of Illinois Alumni Association. “Family tradition”.
- Illinois Alumni Magazine. “Family Tradition – Winter 2024”.
- Chicago Tribune. “WGN-Ch. 9 anchor Robin Baumgarten buys home in Lemont, sells another in Orland Park”.
- LinkedIn. “Robin Baumgarten – Morning News Anchor at WGN-TV”.
- Illinois Blogs. “Robin Baumgarten JOUR, WGN-TV”.
- Instagram. “@wgnrobin”.
- Facebook. “@WGNrobinbaumgarten”.
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