Chicago’s media industry is grieving the loss of Allison Payne. Allison, a Chicago TV anchor, and reporter, died on September 1 in Detroit, Mich. at age 57. WGN-TV Her old workplace.
Allison was awarded nine Emmys throughout her television career.
According to the Daily, Herald Allison is a native Virginian but was raised in Detroit. She went to the University of Detroit and Bowling Green State University. In 1988, after interning at WNWO, Toledo, Ohio she was hired as a news anchor at WNEM, Saginaw, Mich.
Two years later, WGN’s news director found Allison and hired her as a co-anchor for the weekday newscasts at 9 p.m. with Rick Rosenthal. Allison also anchored the channel’s midday news show.
Allison traveled the globe during her 21 years at WGN, reporting on former President Barack Obama’s roots in Kenya and accompanying Rev. Jesse Jackson during a trip to Ivory Coast. She won nine Emmys along the way and mentored students.
Allison took her first of much medical leave from WGN in January 2008. The station later informed viewers that she was still recovering from mini-strokes. Chicago Tribune.
In August she apologized for her unsteadiness on air and said that her workload had exacerbated her recovery after the mini-strokes. “I don’t want to play the violin, but I am still recovering,” She stated that at the time. “It’s a process. I have to ask people to be patient with that in terms of slurring and things.”
And in January 2009, as she returned to work and started anchoring WGN’s early evening broadcast, she told the Tribune She had also sought treatment to treat depression.
“It was brutal getting out of the house, I couldn’t get out of bed,” She said. “It was really bad. I would roll out of bed and into a blazer and over to [WGN]. … I’ve been down before, but now I know what depression is.”
Two years later, Allison left WGN and returned to Detroit.