Rob Sivak
Contributing producer, MiddayRob Sivak is a contributing producer for Midday, with host Tom Hall. Recently retired after a seven-year stint as Midday's senior producer, Rob joined WYPR in 2015 as senior producer of Hall's previous show, Maryland Morning (which aired its final broadcast on September 16th, 2016). Before coming to the station, Rob enjoyed a 36-year career at the congressionally funded global broadcaster, Voice of America. At VOA, he honed his skills as a news and feature reporter, producer, editor and program host.
After reporting assignments at VOA's New York City, United Nations and Los Angeles bureaus, Rob spent two decades covering international food, farming and nutrition issues for VOA's 180-million worldwide listeners, and created and hosted several popular VOA science magazines. At Midday, he continued to pursue his passion for radio and his abiding interests in science, health, technology and politics.
Rob grew up as an ex-pat "oil brat" on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, and studied and traveled widely in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. He attended Hofstra University in New York and Boston University's School of Public Communications. Rob and his wife Caroline Barnes, a writer, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, where they've raised three daughters.
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The visiting fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute believes Baltimore's lenient sentencing practices have allowed many violent criminals to go free, with lethal results. -
Former City Solicitor Judge Andre Davis and economist Anirban Basu say their plan to gradually cut and cap city property taxes will improve tax equity and spur economic growth. City Hall doesn't agree. -
WYPR's award-winning Baltimore County and elections reporter brings us the latest results of key races for state and local offices. -
Former US Attorney General Eric Holder discusses his new history of the nation's harrowing - and continuing - struggle for voting equality. -
Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck sizes up the six new plays being showcased at this year's CAT festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. -
The Editor-in-Chief talks about her team's hopes for the re-launch of the Black-led bimonthly journal of Baltimore politics, life and culture. -
Two astute political observers — WBAL reporter Jayne Miller and Maryland Matters editor Josh Kurtz — join us to assess the results so far of the Tuesday primary, and what they portend for the November general election. -
Baltimore voter Joan Jacobson, Banner reporter Brenda Wintrode and election historian John T. Willis share their insights on problems with MD's election machinery. -
The International Space Station's mission commander and the first Black woman aboard the ISS join us to talk about their six-month mission in space. -
The emergency physician and public health advocate joins us with her take on the highly infectious new COVID variant, and best ways to stay safe as the pandemic continues.
