Jackie Bange Net Worth 2026 Salary & Career Insights
Jackie Bange Net Worth details, including her WGN-TV salary, career milestones, and how decades in journalism shape her financial standing in 2026.
Mar 18, 2026875 Shares32.4K Views
Jackie Bange was raised in a family with a background in broadcast media. Her father worked as a news anchor at WPLG in Miami and later at WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, while her mother was employed as a weathercaster in Lancaster. These family connections indicate that she grew up in an environment familiar with television news and broadcasting.
Bange studied at Florida State University, where she earned a degree in Management Information Systems. She later pursued further academic training at the University of Florida, completing a post-baccalaureate degree in telecommunications with distinction.
| Key Fact | Details |
| Full Name | Jackie Bange |
| Profession | TV News Anchor |
| Current Role | Weekend Anchor, WGN-TV |
| Experience | 30+ Years |
| Net Worth (2026) | Not Publicly Disclosed |
| Income Source | Journalism Salary |
| Education | FSU & University of Florida |
| Career Start | WPEC-TV, Florida |
| Joined WGN-TV | 1993 |
| Awards | Emmy, AP, Lisagor |
Jackie Bange Career
Jackie Bange is a seasoned American television journalist whose career spans over three decades in Chicago broadcasting. She is best known as the long-time weekend news anchor at WGN-TV Chicago (Channel 9), an independent station owned by Nexstar Media.
Bange began her Chicago career at NBC-owned WMAQ-TV (Channel 5) and joined WGN-TV in 1993, marking the start of a multi-decade tenure. Her steady presence on WGN’s weekend newscasts has made her one of the market’s most recognizable news anchors.
Early Career And Rise In Broadcast Journalism
After completing her college education in Florida, Bange started in broadcast journalism at WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach. There she worked as a reporter and noon anchor covering local news, even producing a unique weekly segment on scuba diving.
In 1989 she moved to Chicago and joined WMAQ-TV (NBC 5) as a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor. Those years at a major network affiliate helped establish her credentials and prepared her for higher-profile roles in the Chicago market.
Career At WGN-TV Chicago And Long-Term Role
Bange joined the WGN-TV news team in August 1993 as a general assignment reporter. Within two years she advanced to an anchor role: from January through October 1995 she co-anchored WGN’s morning news program.
In October 1995 she shifted to evenings, becoming co-anchor of the weekend primetime newscast (WGN News at Nine) on Saturdays and Sundays. She held that weekend anchor position continuously for decades, working alongside veteran Chicago broadcasters such as Robert Jordan, Jim Ramsey and later Tahman Bradley. Her long tenure on WGN’s weekend desk has made her a mainstay of the station’s newscasts.
Major Career Achievements And Milestones
Throughout her career, Bange has covered major events and produced ambitious feature reports. She anchored WGN’s election-night coverage during presidential races, including Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, for Chicago audiences.
Her reporting also took her abroad: she produced stories from international locales such as Paris and Tanzania, bringing global context to local news. On the domestic front, Bange created an in-depth Hurricane Katrina special called “Into the Darkness,” using night-vision footage to recreate a nighttime rescue, a feature that won an Associated Press award for hard-news reporting.
In another standout project, Bange and her team participated in filming a world-record skydiving formation, a daring series that drew widespread acclaim.
Reporting Style, Expertise, And Professional Reputation
Bange’s journalism is known for being immersive and hands-on. Early in her career she demonstrated this approach with her scuba-diving news segment, and she has since participated directly in many stories.
She has joined colleagues in skydiving and trained for triathlons to capture story angles up close. This adventurous fieldwork is balanced by her calm, authoritative on-air presence, which viewers trust.
Colleagues praise her versatility; she seamlessly handles both breaking news and in-depth features. Her combination of adventurous reporting and steady anchoring has built her reputation as a trusted, seasoned journalist in the Chicago market.
Awards, Recognition, And Career Highlights
Bange’s work has earned numerous honors. In 1999 she won a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy Award for her feature reporting on the skydiving project.
She has received multiple Illinois Associated Press awards for hard-news feature reporting, including honors for the Katrina special. In 2009 the Chicago Headline Club awarded her the Peter Lisagor Award for outstanding investigative journalism.
Recognizing her long-standing contributions to television news, the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted her into its Silver Circle in 2020. These awards highlight her impact and respect within the Chicago media industry.
Current Work, Recent Reporting, And Media Presence
In the mid-2020s, Jackie Bange remains a leading presence on WGN’s weekend newscasts. She anchors the Saturday and Sunday editions of WGN News including the 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. shows and continues to cover the day’s top stories for Chicago audiences.
Under a recent schedule change, Bange has taken on the solo anchor role for those weekend evening broadcasts, guiding the station’s coverage of the latest local and national news each week.
Beyond the television screen, she maintains an active role in the community and on digital platforms, reflecting her adaptability as a veteran journalist. This ongoing visibility at WGN reinforces her status as a seasoned Chicago broadcaster.
Jackie Bange Net Worth
As of 2026, Jackie Bange's net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no figures have been officially verified by major financial authorities. She earns her income through her career as a television journalist, serving as a weekend news anchor and reporter at Chicago’s WGN-TV. However, her exact salary and earnings have not been made public, and no additional sources of income have been reported.
FAQs
1. Who Is Jackie Bange?
Jackie Bange is an American television journalist best known as a long-time weekend news anchor at WGN-TV in Chicago. She has worked in broadcast journalism for over three decades.
2. Where Does Jackie Bange Work?
She works at WGN-TV (Channel 9) in Chicago. She anchors the weekend evening newscasts, including the 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. programs.
3. When Did Jackie Bange Join WGN-TV?
Jackie Bange joined WGN-TV in August 1993. She has remained with the station since then, becoming one of its most established anchors.
4. What Is Jackie Bange’s Educational Background?
She earned a degree in Management Information Systems from Florida State University. She later completed a post-baccalaureate degree in telecommunications at the University of Florida.
5. What Awards Has Jackie Bange Won?
She has received a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy Award and multiple Illinois Associated Press awards. She also won the Peter Lisagor Award and was inducted into the Silver Circle in 2020.
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