Last Updated on: 10th May 2025, 01:22 pm
Warren Olney IV is an LA TV newsman famous for his extensive career in both television and public radio, particularly within the Los Angeles media.
Born on September 2, 1937, in Berkeley, California, Olney hails from a lineage of public servants. His great-grandfather, Warren Olney, served as the mayor of Oakland, California, and co-founded the Sierra Club. His grandfather, Warren Olney Jr., was a justice on the California Supreme Court, and his father, Warren Olney III, held the position of Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice. Olney earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Amherst College in 1959 and later taught broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California from 1976 to 1982.
His news career started in the 1960s, with roles as a reporter and anchor at various television stations. He worked at WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C., before moving to Los Angeles, where he held positions at KNXT/KCBS-TV, KNBC, KABC-TV, and KCOP-TV (4 stations) between 1969 and 1991. During his tenure at KNBC in the late 1970s, Olney’s investigative reporting brought to light the previously undisclosed nuclear meltdown at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. (Everything Explained Today, KCRW)
In 1992, Olney transitioned to public radio, launching the program “Which Way, L.A.?” on KCRW in response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The show became a staple for in-depth discussions on local issues until its conclusion in 2016. In 2000, he introduced “To the Point,” a nationally syndicated program that aired until 2017, after which it continued as a podcast focusing on topics like climate change. (Los Angeles Business Journal)
Throughout his career, Olney has received numerous accolades, including multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Mike Awards. He is notably the only individual to have been twice named “Broadcast Journalist of the Year” by the Los Angeles Society of Professional Journalists for his work in both television and radio. In 2012, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California.
Olney is married to Marsha Temple, an attorney and executive director of the Integrated Recovery Network, a nonprofit organization aiding homeless individuals with mental illness. He has four children and several grandchildren.
WORK
KCBS/KNBC/KABC/KCOP