Allison Payne, former anchor at WGN Chicago, died Sept. 1 at 57. From Detroit, Payne started at the station in 1990 and departed in 2011 due to “a series of unfortunate health events,” the station said, when she returned to Detroit.
No cause of death was reported.
“Allison Payne was a one-of-a-kind talent who quickly became one of Chicago’s Very Own,” said Paul Rennie, VP and general manager of WGN, on Chicago news site RobertFeder.com. “We are grateful for the many contributions she made to WGN-TV and to Chicago. Talented and much admired, she will be greatly missed.”
Payne suffered from mini-strokes and depression, noted RobertFeder.com, and had a long-term battle with alcoholism.
She established a foundation for students looking to enter the journalism field, according to WGN. The station called her “a monumental contributor to the history of WGN-TV.”
Payne had previously worked at WNWO Toledo and WNEM Saginaw. She anchored the nightly 9 p.m. news on WGN.
After departing WGN, Payne started a production company.
