Jackie Bange is one of Chicago television’s most recognizable faces, known to WGN-TV viewers for her steady presence on weekend newscasts for more than three decades. Her name regularly comes up whenever people search for details about the anchors behind Chicago’s local news, yet accurate, up-to-date information about her life and career is surprisingly scattered across the web.

This article brings everything together in one place. You will find a complete biography, verified career timeline, family details, and honest context around her net worth and salary, all written in a clear and easy-to-follow format.

Who is Jackie Bange?

Jackie Bange is an award-winning American broadcast journalist who serves as a weekend anchor and reporter for WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois. She is best recognized for co-anchoring the weekend editions of WGN News at Nine and WGN News at Ten.

Her career in television news spans more than 30 years, during which she has covered breaking news, elections, natural disasters, and international assignments. Bange is also known for the depth she brings to feature reporting, a quality that has earned her multiple journalism awards over the years.

Early Life of Jackie Bange

Jackie Bange was born in the United States and grew up in a household with strong ties to broadcast journalism. Her father worked as a news anchor at WPLG in Miami, Florida, and later at WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, while her mother worked as a weathercaster in Lancaster.

Growing up around newsrooms and on air talent appears to have shaped her early interest in journalism. Rather than jumping straight into broadcasting, however, she first built a foundation in business studies before shifting her academic focus toward communications.

She earned her undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems from Florida State University. She later returned to school for a post-baccalaureate degree in Telecommunications from the University of Florida, where she graduated with distinction. That combination of technical and communications training later helped her adapt smoothly as television newsrooms became more digital.

Jackie Bange Age

Jackie Bange was born on September 8, 1961, which places her in her sixties as of 2026. Her birth sign is Virgo, a detail often associated with disciplined, detail-oriented personalities, traits that align well with her long career in accurate, fact-driven reporting.

Jackie Bange Height and Weight

Height and weight figures are commonly requested in celebrity and media personality profiles, but Jackie Bange has not publicly confirmed exact numbers. Various unofficial sources estimate her height at around 5 feet 7 inches, though this figure has not been verified through an official source. Readers should treat this as an approximate reference rather than a confirmed fact.

Biography Table

Category	Details
Full Name	Jackie Bange
Date of Birth	September 8, 1961
Birthplace	United States
Nationality	American
Zodiac Sign	Virgo
Profession	Broadcast Journalist, News Anchor, Reporter
Current Employer	WGN-TV, Chicago
Position	Weekend Anchor and Reporter
Years Active	1980s to present
Education	Florida State University (undergraduate), University of Florida (post-baccalaureate)
Husband	George Strickland
Children	Three (a son and twin daughters)
Known For	WGN News at Nine, “Into the Darkness” special report

How Old Was Jackie Bange When She Started Her Career?

Jackie Bange began her broadcast journalism career in the late 1980s after completing her education in Florida. Based on her birth year of 1961, she was in her late twenties when she took her first on air roles as a noon anchor and reporter in West Palm Beach, Florida. By the time she joined WGN-TV in Chicago in 1993, she was in her early thirties with several years of hands on newsroom experience already behind her.

Professional Journey of Jackie Bange

Early Career Beginnings in Florida

Jackie Bange’s professional journey started at WPEC-TV, a CBS affiliate station based in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, she worked as a noon anchor and general assignment reporter, gaining the fundamentals of live reporting, story writing, and on camera delivery. This early Florida chapter gave her the reps needed to compete in a much larger television market later on.

Transition to a Major Media Market

In 1990, Bange made the leap to Chicago, joining WMAQ-TV, the city’s NBC affiliate. As a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor, she covered a wide range of local stories and sharpened her skills in a fast paced, highly competitive newsroom. This period served as a bridge between her regional Florida experience and the major market demands of Chicago television.

Joining WGN-TV and Career Growth

Jackie Bange joined the WGN-TV News team in August 1993 as a general assignment reporter, a move that became the defining chapter of her career. From January to October 1995, she co-anchored the WGN Morning News, taking on the early hours and rapid pacing that morning television demands.

After that stint, she transitioned into weekend evening broadcasts, becoming co-anchor of WGN News at Nine starting in October 1995, a role she has held for decades. Over time, her responsibilities expanded to include WGN News at Ten as well.

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Award-Winning Journalism and Special Reports

Bange’s reporting has earned recognition from some of the most respected award bodies in Midwest journalism.

• She won a Regional Emmy Award in 1999 for Best Feature Reporting, covering a group of skydivers attempting to set a world record for the largest skydive formation. She also received an Associated Press award for the same series and for aerial photography.
• In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, she produced a special report titled “Into the Darkness,” profiling two Chicago area pilots and their crew who were among the first responders to reach New Orleans after the levees failed. Using night vision equipment, she recreated the rescue for viewers. The report won the Illinois Associated Press award for Best Hard News Feature.
• In 2009, she received the Peter Lisagor Award for Hard News and In-Depth Reporting after helping a widow pursue justice for her husband, who was killed by a suspected drunk driver.
• She also received the Woman of Honor award from Thornton Township for her dedication to family and community.

International Reporting and Expanded Experience

Beyond Chicago, Jackie Bange has reported from international locations including Tanzania in Africa and Paris, France, giving her coverage a broader, more global perspective. She has also anchored coverage of major national events, including presidential election nights for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, placing her reporting at the center of some of the most closely watched moments in modern American politics.

Mentorship, Community Involvement, and Continued Impact

Jackie Bange has stayed active in mentoring the next generation of journalists through Elmhurst College’s Mentor Program. Her community work extends well beyond the newsroom:

• She serves on the board of The Michael Matters Foundation, which supports people fighting brain cancer.
• She supports fundraising efforts for A Safe Place, a domestic violence prevention organization based in Lake County.
• She volunteers with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry, and Feed My Starving Children.

This sustained community involvement reflects the kind of long-term local commitment that has helped her build lasting trust with Chicago area viewers.

Jackie Bange Children

Jackie Bange is a mother of three. She has a son named Josh and twin daughters named Gracie and Sunny. She has occasionally shared glimpses of family life on social media, but for the most part keeps details about her children’s day to day lives private, a common approach among broadcast journalists who prefer to separate their public career from their family’s privacy.

Jackie Bange Young

Photos and clips of a young Jackie Bange from her early Florida and Chicago newsroom days occasionally circulate among longtime WGN viewers and local news enthusiasts. These early appearances show a reporter already comfortable on camera, years before she became a familiar face on WGN’s weekend broadcasts.

Where Does Jackie Bange Live?

Jackie Bange resides in the Chicago metropolitan area, consistent with her decades-long role as a local news anchor for WGN-TV. Specific neighborhood or address details are not publicly disclosed, which is standard practice for on air journalists in major markets for privacy and safety reasons.

Jackie Bange Birthday

Jackie Bange celebrates her birthday on September 8 each year. Fans and colleagues often mark the date on social media, recognizing her long-standing contribution to Chicago journalism.

Jackie Bange Family

Jackie Bange comes from a family deeply rooted in broadcast media. Her father was a news anchor in Miami, Florida, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, while her mother worked as a weathercaster in Lancaster. This family background gave her early exposure to newsroom culture long before she pursued the profession herself. She continues that tradition today with her husband and three children.

Jackie Bange WGN

Jackie Bange has been a fixture at WGN-TV since August 1993, making her one of the longest serving members of the station’s news team. Her tenure includes stints anchoring the WGN Morning News, co-anchoring WGN News at Nine, and later WGN News at Ten. Her longevity at a single station is relatively rare in television news, where anchors often move between markets throughout their careers.

Jackie Bange Retirement

As of now, Jackie Bange has not announced any retirement plans. She continues to appear regularly on WGN weekend broadcasts, maintaining the same level of on air presence and reporting output she has shown for years. Her ongoing assignments and consistent schedule suggest she remains fully active in her journalism career.

Jackie Bange Husband

Jackie Bange is married to George Strickland, a former Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney. The couple has built a private family life together away from the cameras, and Bange rarely discusses her marriage in detail during public appearances, preferring to keep that part of her life separate from her on air career.

Does Jackie Bange Have Children?

Yes, Jackie Bange has three children with her husband, George Strickland. Her family includes a son, Josh, and twin daughters, Gracie and Sunny. She has spoken about balancing a demanding weekend anchor schedule with raising a family, a challenge many working parents in television news can relate to.

Jackie Bange Net Worth

Jackie Bange’s net worth is estimated to fall between 1 million and 5 million dollars. This figure is not officially confirmed by Bange or WGN-TV, and it should be treated as an approximate industry estimate rather than a verified figure. Net worth estimates for television anchors are typically based on years of service, market size, and general industry salary benchmarks rather than disclosed personal financial records.

Given her more than three decades at a major market station like WGN-TV, along with steady career progression from reporter to long-term weekend anchor, an estimate in this range is reasonable, though the exact number remains private.

Jackie Bange Salary

Reported salary estimates for Jackie Bange range widely, generally falling somewhere between 30,000 and 110,000 dollars annually, according to general WGN-TV anchor and reporter salary benchmarks. It is important to note that Bange’s actual compensation has never been officially published, and given her seniority and decades of tenure, her real salary could reasonably sit above typical entry level or mid-level anchor ranges. As with her net worth, this figure should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.

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FAQs

Who is Jackie Bange?

Jackie Bange is an award-winning American broadcast journalist who works as a weekend anchor and reporter for WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois.

How old is Jackie Bange?

Jackie Bange was born on September 8, 1961, making her in her sixties as of 2026.

When did Jackie Bange join WGN-TV?

She joined WGN-TV’s news team in August 1993 as a general assignment reporter.

Is Jackie Bange married?

Yes, she is married to George Strickland, a former Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney.

How many children does Jackie Bange have?

She has three children, a son named Josh and twin daughters named Gracie and Sunny.

What awards has Jackie Bange won?

She has won a Regional Emmy Award, a Peter Lisagor Award, and multiple Associated Press awards for her reporting.

What is Jackie Bange’s net worth?

Her estimated net worth ranges between 1 million and 5 million dollars, though this figure is unofficial.

Has Jackie Bange retired?

No, she has not announced retirement and continues to anchor WGN weekend newscasts.

Where did Jackie Bange work before WGN-TV?

She worked at WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida, and later at WMAQ-TV in Chicago before joining WGN-TV.

What is Jackie Bange known for?

She is best known for co-anchoring WGN News at Nine and for her special report “Into the Darkness” following Hurricane Katrina.

Conclusion

Jackie Bange’s career reflects the kind of consistency and dedication that is increasingly rare in modern television news. From her early days reporting in West Palm Beach to more than 30 years of trusted service at WGN-TV in Chicago, she has built a reputation grounded in accuracy, community involvement, and award-winning storytelling.

While some personal details, such as her exact net worth, salary, and physical measurements, remain unconfirmed, her professional record speaks for itself through Emmy recognition, Peter Lisagor honors, and decades of loyal viewership. As she continues her active role at WGN-TV with no retirement in sight, Jackie Bange remains one of Chicago’s most enduring and respected news anchors.