Podtalk: Bob Sirott & Marianne Murciano, Part of PBS Station WTTW’s ‘Summer of Space’

CHICAGO – July 20th, 2019, will mark the 50th Anniversary that a human being – astronaut Neil Armstrong – first stepped on the moon. All month in July/August, PBS station WTTW is featuring its “Summer of Space,” with special programming dedicated to both the Apollo 11 moon landing/walk and other space-themed shows. Participating are Chicago media personalities Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, in “Jim Lovell in Booth One with Sirott and Murciano.” For a schedule of showings, click here. [25]

Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, besides being married, are a media power couple in Chicago, having co-hosted TV’s “Fox Thing in the Morning,” and had radio shows on WGN and WLS. Before their collaborations, Bob Sirott was a Top 40 style disk jockey on WLS-AM during the heyday of that format in the 1970s. He went on to network television, as one of the correspondents of CBS-TV’s “West 57th,”a newsmagazine show that ran from 1985 to 1989. After that stint, he came back to Chicago in various news anchor and host roles, and has pretty much been on the air ever since. Marianne Murciano (with Sirott) is now also promoting her new food-themed website, Suso’s Fork [26].

Bob Sirott, Marianne Murciano and Former Astronaut James Lovell for “Summer in Space”
Photo credit: WTTW


WTTW’s “Summer in Space” began in June, is ongoing through August, and features a whole series of space-oriented programming in all genres and categories, including “Chasing the Moon” on PBS’s American Experience, “Apollo’s Daring Mission” on Nova, the children’s program “Ready Jet Go!: One Small Step,” and even an Antiques Roadshow overview “Out of This World” (Click link below for full schedule).

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Bob Sirott reflects on the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission and its implications in history, and his (with Marianne Murciano) talk with astronaut Jim Lovell.

In Part Two, Sirott talks about his Top 40 DJ days and his stint on “West 57th,” as well as more perspective on the moon walk event.

[28]	By PATRICK McDONALD [29] Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [28]