CHICAGO, February 18, 2009 –WGN-TV’s Dean Richards will host a one hour preview special of Sunday’s 81st annual Academy Awards, “The Envelope Please” on Saturday, February 21, from 6-7pm CST on WGN-TV.

The program will feature previews of all of the major nominees and a lively critics’ roundtable of the likely winners and losers as predicted by WGN’s Dean Richards, Chicago Tribune movie critic Michael Phillips, CLTV Metromix host Marcus LeShock and The Chicago Crusaders’ Bonnie DeShong. The program will also include Richards’ one-on-one interviews with nominated performers including Meryl Streep, Frank Langella, Ron Howard, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and the cast of The Dark Knight as they remember Heath Ledger.

On Friday, February 20, 2009, Richards will host a 30-minute live web chat on wgntv.com at 9:15am from the WGN newsroom. Viewers will be able to interact with him on his Oscars page (http://www.wgntv.com/oscars) and submit questions that he will answer live via streaming video. Richards will discuss Oscar picks and what he’ll be doing live on Facebook during the Oscars on Sunday, February 22. Go to wgntv.com/Oscars for a printable Oscar ballot, Oscar games and more.

“The Envelope Please” radio version will air on News Talk 720, WGN Radio on Sunday, February 22 from 12:00 to 2:00pm during Dean Richards’ radio show.