Dean Richards is Chicago's 3-time Emmy Award-winning source for the arts; movies, theater, music, in addition to his popular, "Dean Cooks" segments.

For 35 years, his work was seen and heard on WGN-TV, cable channel NewsNation, nationwide on hundreds television stations, on WGN Radio and online at deanrichardschicago.com.

Legendary Chicago journalist, Carol Marin said, "Dean Richards is an institution in and of himself." The LA Times said, "Dean Richards...has been a fixture at Hollywood press junkets." He was cited in a New York Times front-page article as the Tribune company's "Man of Many Hats."

In 2016, Dean was inducted into the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Silver Circle Hall of Fame. That same year, he was enshrined into the WGN Radio Walk of Fame, which pays tribute to the station's legendary talent. In 2017, Richards was honored with the Chicago International Television Festival's Chicago Award.

Dean joined WGN-TV as a staff announcer in 1991. In 1998, he appeared as a guest reviewer and was brought onboard as a regular contributor soon after. His interviews with national and local celebrities, reports on showbiz, his reviews of the latest movies and his popular, "Dean Cooks" segments were seen on WGN's newscasts, including the #1 rated "WGN Morning News", the "WGN Midday News," as well as on the parent company's stations nationwide. His reviews and interviews were also seen on national cable channel "NewsNation." He is a former writer for the Chicago Tribune and RedEye.

He also hosted and co-produced specials such as the award-winning "Bozo, Gar & Ray: WGN TV Classics," the Oscar preview special "The Envelope Please," "Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer," "Unforgettable: Living with Alzheimer's," "Chicago's Summer Blast," "Family Classics" "Bozo's Circus: The 1960s" and "Bozo's Circus: The 1970s."

On WGN Radio, "Dean Richards' Sunday Morning" covered Chicago's entertainment and lifestyle scene including movies, theater, food and dining, Sundays from 9am–1pm. Dean's entertainment reports and reviews were also heard on "The Bob Sirott Morning Show" weekdays between 8:10–8:30am.

Since joining WGN Radio in 1994, he won over 30 local and national awards for programming and production, including the Peter Lisagor Award for Outstanding Journalism, the Associated Press Best Feature of the Year, the Illinois Broadcasters Association, UPI, Chicago A.I.R. Awards, and Promax International Promotion and Marketing Awards.

Dean's radio and television specials on the fight against breast cancer have also garnered many national and local awards and citations from breast cancer organizations, including the "Y-ME" National Breast Cancer Organization's "Outstanding Media" Award.

On and off the air, Dean has been a tireless worker related to HIV/AIDS issues, hosting charitable functions for decades including "AIDS Run & Walk Chicago" and "Dance for Life Chicago." He has lent support to numerous organizations including Howard Brown Health Center, Horizons Community Services (now Center on Halsted), Open Hand Chicago, and was awarded a citation by Stop AIDS Chicago for his contributions to the fight against AIDS. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago also recognized him in their annual "Faces of AIDS" publication and, in 2006, cited him with a special commendation for his work in the field.

For over 25 years, Dean was part of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association, many of those years as the telethon's co-host on WGN-TV. He has also hosted numerous events for Alzheimer's, hunger, homeless, and domestic violence organizations.

A native of Chicago, Dean worked his way through a string of suburban Chicago radio stations after completing his Broadcast Communications/Marketing degree at Columbia College. A veteran of Chicago's broadcasting scene since 1975, he has worked at WNUA, WCLR, WIND, WCFL, WFYR, WPWR and WFLD.