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Published on Friday, 19 October 2012 13:26
As he has done every year for 16 years -- long before it was fashionable to do so, Dean Richards will host two different specials on the subject of breast cancer next week. One will be a prerecorded half-hour television special, while the other will be a live three-hour radio special. These are being done before the end of October, which is of course, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On Thursday, October 25th, WGN-TV will end its 9:00pm newscast 30 minutes early in order to air the locally-produced special presentation, "Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer" at 9:30pm. Like the 9:00pm newscast, this special will also be simulcast nationally on Tribune Broadcasting's cable/satellite superstation, WGN America.
"Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer" will be hosted by Dean Richards, WGN-TV's entertainment reporter, alongside Dina Bair, WGN-TV news anchor and medical reporter. This annual program is near & dear to Dean Richards' and Dina Bair's hearts, as both are cancer survivors.
The 30-minute special will include discussions with healthcare professionals about advancements in cancer diagnosis and treatments, regaining one's life after a diagnosis, and inspirational survivor stories, including that of actress Maura Tierney ("Newsradio," "ER").
In addition to next Thursday's airing on WGN-TV/WGN America, "Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer" will have encore showings on WGN-TV sister-station CLTV on Thursday, October 25th at 11:30pm and Saturday, October 27th at 5:00pm.
Last year's "Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer" won a 2011 Emmy Award.
On Sunday, October 28th from Noon-3:00pm, WGN-AM will air "Breast Cancer 2012 with Dean Richards." This will be the 16th consecutive year for the highly regarded special radio broadcast.
Unlike the 30-minute television special, which is pre-recorded, this 180-minute radio special will air completely live. Dean Richards will host a town hall meeting-style meeting, which will feature a panel of the nation's leading medical experts on breast cancer.
The special radio program will take a look at where the medical community currently is in the fight against breast cancer, the latest research being conducted, and resources for cancer patients, along with some moving cancer survivor stories. Additionally, actress Maura Tierney will joins Dean Richards as his special guest to talk about her personal 2009 battle with breast cancer and how she's now helping others with their battles.
Since 1996, Dean Richards' annual breast cancer specials on WGN-TV and WGN-AM have achieved numerous national and local awards for excellence. They have also been honored many times by breast cancer organizations, including the "Y-ME" National Breast Cancer Organization's "Outstanding Media" Award, for the specials' contributions to the fight against the disease.
