Robert Channick

Robert Channick is a business reporter for the Tribune. A former broadcast consultant and radio station manager, he began freelancing for the Chicago Tribune in 2002, joining the Tribune staff as a business reporter in 2011. He has a bachelor's degree in English from Kenyon College and a master's in journalism from Northwestern University.

Gayle Shrake, left, and Mary Beth Kulinski have a laugh together as they pull Snickers protein bars from the bar line at the Global Innovation Center at Mars Wrigley on Jan. 16, 2024, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Mars Snacking to invest $100 million, add 600 jobs through Chicago HQ expansion

March 25, 2026 at 1:25 p.m.

Candy giant Mars Snacking is investing $100 million to expand its Chicago headquarters, adding two new offices and more than 600 jobs, the company announced Wednesday.

Kevin Cross, president and general manager of NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago, points out the peacock feather motif on the anchor desk in Studio A on the second floor of NBC Tower in Streeterville on March 11, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

NBC Chicago downsizes in its namesake tower with new $70 million TV newsroom

March 24, 2026 at 12:33 p.m.

NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and the national NBC News Chicago Bureau have consolidated from five floors into one 70,000-square-foot space on the formerly vacant second floor of NBC Tower,...

The CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan on March 20, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty)

CBS News pulls the plug on its storied radio network, which provides top-of-the hour newscasts to WBBM-AM

March 20, 2026 at 5:28 p.m.

In Chicago, the end of CBS News Radio will hit home at WBBM Newsradio, a former CBS-owned station and a longtime affiliate that airs the network’s programming as an integral...

Chairman Doug Scott speaks during an Illinois Commerce Commission meeting in 2023 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

ICC approves ComEd proposal requiring multimillion dollar deposits for new data center projects

March 19, 2026 at 6:47 p.m.

With the proliferation of power-hungry data centers driving up the cost of electricity, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved a proposal by ComEd requiring increased deposits from developers to protect ratepayers...

A Chicago Sports Network camera works from a dugout while the White Sox host the Tigers, June 5, 2025, at Rate Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Sports Network to simulcast 10 White Sox games — including series versus the Cubs — on WCIU-TV

March 19, 2026 at 2:32 p.m.

The Chicago Sports Network is partnering with Weigel Broadcasting to simulcast 10 White Sox games this season over-the-air on WCIU-Ch. 26, the network announced Thursday.

Equipment and unused parts wait to be auctioned at the shuttered Lion Electric Joliet school bus factory in Channahon on May 24, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Hyundai Translead to bring truck trailer manufacturing and 2,500 jobs to 2 shuttered Will County plants

March 17, 2026 at 5:06 p.m.

Hyundai Translead, a leading manufacturer of truck trailers and flatbeds, is firing up two shuttered industrial plants along the Des Plaines River in Will County, with a commitment to bring...

Chicago-based crypto trading firm BlockFills files Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Blackhawks among the creditors

March 17, 2026 at 3:26 p.m.

Pushed over the edge by recent customer lawsuits and a “crypto winter” that saw Bitcoin valuation halved, Chicago-based trading firm BlockFills filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday in a...

One dollar notes with the signature of then US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are unveiled at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility on December 8, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Andy Jacobsohn/AFP/Getty)

Chicago’s Signature Bank joins forces with New York-based Esquire in $348 million merger

March 12, 2026 at 4:03 p.m.

Under the terms of the agreement, announced Thursday, Esquire Financial is acquiring Signature in an all-stock transaction valued at $348 million.

Rivian's midsize R2 SUV will roll off the company's manufacturing line in Normal, Illinois, this Spring. (Rivian)

EV manufacturer Rivian announces pricing for midsize R2 SUV, set to roll off Normal line in spring

March 12, 2026 at 11:08 a.m.

The first versions of Rivian's midsize RS SUV are packaged, priced and getting ready to roll off the line this spring.

Ben Mulgrew pours beer while working behind the bar at the Half Acre taproom and kitchen at the Balmoral Avenue production brewery, Dec. 3, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago craft brewers Half Acre and Maplewood announce merger

March 11, 2026 at 12:49 p.m.

Operating under the principle that two heads are better than one, pioneering Chicago craft breweries Half Acre and Maplewood are joining forces under one corporate umbrella.

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