Mike Toomey Bio, Age, Wife, Family, WGN-TV, & Voices You Love!
Mike Toomey is an American journalist who currently works as the “Announcer” of the WGN Morning News (9-10 AM). He started with a small role on the WGN Morning News in 2003 and by September 2013, Mike had become an integral part of the show. As a teenager, Tomey attended Glenbard North High School and grew up in Carol Stream.
Mike Toomey (journalist) is the quick-witted, velvet-voiced “announcer” Chicagoans wake up to every weekday on WGN Morning News. Since 2003 he has opened the 9 a.m. hour with dead-pan one-liners, celebrity impressions and improvised sketches that helped turn the local broadcast into a national streaming favorite.
Quick-Facts
| Full Name | Michael “Mike” Toomey |
| Profession | Broadcast Journalist / Morning News Announcer / Voice-over Artist / Comedy Writer |
| Born | 20 September 1962 (age 63 in Jan 2026) |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian (Irish-Polish descent) |
| Zodiac | Virgo |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | ≈ 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Hair | Salt-and-pepper |
| Eyes | Blue |
| Education | BA Radio-Television, Southern Illinois University, 1984 |
| Marital Status | Married (wife: Liz Toomey) |
| Children | 2 |
| Years Active | 1984 – present |
| Employer | WGN-TV (Tribune/Nexstar) |
| Net Worth 2026 | ≈ US $1.2 million |
| Hobbies | Vintage radio collecting, Cubs stats, impressions, golf |
| Notable Skills | 50+ celebrity voices, ad-lib comedy, on-air piano |
Early Life & Education
Mike Toomey grew up on Chicago’s Northwest side, the youngest of four. His father was a CTA bus driver, his mom a CPS kindergarten teacher—so “el trains and report cards” were dinner staples. A childhood stutter disappeared the day a fifth-grade teacher handed him a microphone for morning announcements; by high school he was doing play-by-play of Brother Rice football games on a cassette recorder. SIU-Carbondale’s radio-T.V. program lured him downstate, where he spun classic-rock records at WIDB-FM and interned at WGN Radio—little knowing he’d spend the next four decades inside Tribune Tower .
Career Journey
1984-1992 – Radio Gypsy
- First paid gig: over-night board-op at WLLI (Joliet) – $4.25/hr.
- Jumped to WMAQ-AM (NBC) as sports producer; wrote jokes for “Chet & Natalie.”
- Became side-kick on The Bob Collins Show at WGN-AM (’88)–honed impressions (Collins, Harry Caray, Nixon).
1993-2002 – Voice-over King
- Free-lanced at One-On-One Sports, voicing 100+ national ads (Budweiser, McDonald’s).
- Created satirical “Sports Minute” bits that ran on 200+ U.S. stations.
2003-present – WGN Morning News Announcer
- Hired for one-day fill-in; producers kept him after viewers demanded “the guy with the voices” return .
- Writes/opens 9-10 a.m. hour, tosses to weather/traffic, performs man-on-the-street segments.
- Viral moments: “Pothole Olympics,” “Mayor Daley karaoke,” “Polar Vortex Beach Forecast.”
- Streams worldwide on WGNTV.com and NewsNation+; averages 250 k live viewers/day.
Side Projects
- Narrator, Chicago’s Classic Sports (PBS, 2015)
- Guest host, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! (NPR, 2019)
- Podcast: Toomey’s Time Machine (2021-23, 64 episodes)
Career Stats (Jan 2026)
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| On-air years at WGN | 23 |
| Celebrity impressions catalogued | 52 |
| Regional Emmy nominations | 4 |
| Regional Emmy wins | 1 (2018, “Outstanding Writer – Morning Newscast”) |
| Viral clips (>1 M views) | 11 |
| National commercials voiced | 300+ |
| Podcast downloads | 1.8 M |
Personal Life
Married to high-school sweetheart Liz (née Kaminski) since 1987; they live in Edgebrook with two adult children—Molly (Chicago PD dispatcher) and Danny (SIU film student). Off-air passions include restoring 1940s tabletop radios, golfing at Waveland, and maintaining a 30-year scorebook of every Cubs home game he’s attended (1 043 games, .632 team win % when he’s in the park).
Awards & Recognition
- Regional Emmy – Outstanding Writer, Morning Newscast (2018)
- Peter Lisagor Award – Best Radio Humor Commentary (2006)
- SIU Alumni Merit Award – Media (2014)
- Chicago Magazine – “Best Local TV Personality” reader poll (2020)
Physical Statistics
| Stat | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 10 in | 178 cm |
| Weight | 180 lb | 82 kg |
| Shoe | 10.5 (US) | 44 (EU) |
| Hair | Thick, salt-and-pepper | |
| Eyes | Blue | |
| Build | Average / dad-bod chic |
Quotes
- “In morning TV you have two minutes to be funny, informative, and you can’t offend grandma—try it before coffee.” – Chicago Tribune interview, 2017
- “I don’t do impressions to mock; I do them to celebrate the orchestra of voices in this city.” – Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, 2019
- “If the CTA is running late, at least give the passengers a punchline.” – Time Machine podcast, 2022
Controversies
Zero on-air scandals; only minor social-media ribbing after mispronouncing “Koenig” during Cubs World Series coverage (2016), which he corrected the next segment.
Favorites
| Category | Pick |
|---|---|
| Chicago Pizza | Pequod’s caramelized crust |
| Ballpark | Wrigley – Section 424, aisle 3 |
| Music | Sinatra, Cheap Trick, Chance |
| Movie | Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (shot at WGN!) |
| Book | The Radio Producer’s Handbook (his college text) |
| Travel | Mackinac Island, MI (no cars, lots of fudge) |
Salary & Net Worth 2026
- WGN base salary: ≈ $285 k / yr
- Voice-over free-lance: ≈ $90 k / yr
- Appearances / podcast ads: ≈ $35 k / yr
- Real-estate: Paid-off Edgebrook bungalow (Zestimate $520 k)
- Total Net Worth Jan 2026: ≈ US $1.2 million
Interesting Facts
- Keeps a 1983 cassette of his first newscast—still plays it for SIU students.
- Can recite every Cubs opening-day lineup since 1985.
- Provided the voice of “Harry Caray” for Saturday Night Live cold-open sketch (2020).
- Owns 60 vintage bow-ties; rotates them every weekday.
- Holds Guinness-adjacent record: longest on-air “shh” (42 sec) during library funding telethon.
Social Media Links
| Platform | Handle / URL |
|---|---|
| Twitter / X | @miketoomeywgntv |
| @miketoomey_wgn | |
| MikeToomeyWGN | |
| Mike Toomey – Broadcast Journalist | |
| YouTube | Search “Mike Toomey WGN bits” (official clips on WGN channel) |
FAQs
Q1: How long has Mike Toomey been the announcer on WGN Morning News?
A: Since 2003—over 23 years .
Q2: What happened to Mike Toomey’s voice?
A: Nothing—his raspy timbre is natural; fans often joke he “sounds like Chicago.”
Q3: Does he still do radio?
A: Occasionally fills in on WGN-AM; otherwise focuses on TV and podcast.
Q4: Is he related to Texas lobbyist Mike Toomey?
A: No—same name, different guy; the journalist spells it “Michael J.” on legal docs to avoid mix-ups.
Conclusion
For two decades Mike Toomey has been the comedic heartbeat of Chicago mornings—proof that local broadcast still thrives when talent serves community. Whether you tune in for his pitch-perfect Mayor Daley impression or just to hear which Cubs stat he’ll drop next, one thing is clear: the day doesn’t start in Chicagoland until Toomey says, “Good morning, WGN-land!” If this deep-dive answered every “age, height, salary, net worth” question you Googled, share it with a fellow early-riser and set your alarm to 9 a.m.—the voice will be waiting.
