One year after taking a buyout and leaving the Chicago Sun-Times, longtime film and TV critic Richard Roeper has landed a new media home at NBC 5 Chicago.
Beginning Friday, Roeper will join NBC 5 as its entertainment and culture reporter, delivering stories and reviews throughout the week on afternoon and evening newscasts. In addition, he will also make regular appearances on the weekday “Chicago Today” program, as well as the station’s digital platforms.
“Growing up in south suburban Dolton and having lived in the Chicago area my entire life, I’ve long been a fan and viewer of NBC 5 Chicago,” Roeper said in a news release Monday. “I’m ready to get to work and bring my insights, reviews, and more to NBC 5 Chicago viewers wherever and whenever they watch.”
In March 2025, Roeper was among 23 reporters and editors who accepted a voluntary buyout at the Sun-Times in a sweeping cost-cutting initiative by the newspaper’s nonprofit owner, Chicago Public Media.
Roeper, who had been at the Sun-Times for 37 years, continued his side gig as film and TV reviewer every Friday on “Windy City Weekend” on ABC 7 Chicago. His last day on WLS-Ch. 7 was April 3.
A familiar figure in Chicago media, Roeper gained a national TV platform in 2000 when he succeeded the late Gene Siskel in the retitled “At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper,” the influential syndicated review show. Roeper stayed in that role for eight years, when both he and Ebert, who had been off the air since 2006 while being treated for thyroid cancer, left the show. “At the Movies” was subsequently cancelled in 2010.
Ebert died in 2013, but his legacy lives on through film review site RogerEbert.com, which Roeper joined as a regular critic last May.
Over the years, Roeper has worked with local Chicago TV stations including WFLD-Ch. 32 and WBBM-Ch. 2. He’s had two runs on WLS-Ch. 7, but Friday will be his debut on WMAQ-Ch. 5. A ubiquitous media presence, Roeper has also been heard regularly on a number of Chicago radio stations including WGN-AM 720.
“Richard is a respected and notable voice in Chicago media,” Sally Ramirez, senior vice president of news at NBC 5/Telemundo Chicago, said in the release. “His unparalleled insight into the entertainment industry, his unique cultural perspective, and his deep connection with the Chicago community make him an exceptional addition to our team.”
NBC 5, which moved into new $70 million studios in its namesake tower in January, has also been renovating its on-air lineup, recently adding veteran Chicago sports anchor Lou Canellis to the roster.
In February, bolstered by the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX, NBC 5 toppled ABC 7 as the 10 p.m. news ratings leader for the first time in two years.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com
