OLNEY WORKING DOUBLE TIME ON KCRW.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

AS WARREN OLNEY sat in his small studio for an hourlong ``To the Point'' broadcast on KCRW-FM, a team of producers crushed into a control booth across the hall, taking turns typing notes into a computer about the guests represented by flashing phone lines.

``Don't forget to mention his book,'' one of them typed anxiously, after Olney already had introduced the guest. ``That's our payment to him.'' The words appeared instantly on Olney's screen.

``Speaking of 'Media Circus,' the title of your latest book, what do you think about the networks' coverage of the president's speech?'' Olney said, homing in on the day's topic while drawing an appreciative sigh from the producer.

Smooth. Olney, a TV veteran known for investigative reporting and anchoring on KCBS, KNBC, KABC, KCOP and KCET, makes putting together two weekday radio news programs look - or sound - so easy.

As executive producer of both ``To the Point,'' syndicated by Public Radio International, and ``Which Way L.A.?,'' Olney starts his workday with a 7 a.m. conference call with the producers and managing editor, Kyle McKinnon. They go over that day's topics and bat around some future ideas.

The producers arrive at the Santa Monica College station and immediately start working the phones, rounding up guests from the station's own database of more than 15,000 keyworded sources. By 11 a.m., the lines are blinking, and Olney is on the air back East.

``To the Point'' launched in October 2000. Just another presidential election season, it seemed. Then came the Florida results. For most of 2001, the program kept close watch on Washington, reporting on tax cuts, the missile defense proposal, stem cell research and campaign finance reform.

Olney and his crew, a very well-read bunch, have shown considerable insight - and some eerie foresight. Back on Feb. 12, 2001, they had a show titled ``The Terrorist Threat'' that discussed federal law enforcement agencies' inability to see connections between various suspects.

``It has been such a rich news time that I cannot remember any other time in America, except possibly the Vietnam era, that you had anything that could compete with the drama of the news,'' said Ruth Seymour, the station's general manager.

On Sept. 11 and the weeks following, in addition to ``Which Way L.A.?'' the KCRW staff put together two versions of ``To the Point'' nearly every day as new developments came in.

``I spent 25 years in television news, so it's second nature to be in that kind of atmosphere,'' Olney said. ``But it was crazy. And it was really hard on the producers, who came through like gangbusters.''

``To the Point'' is the national and international version of Olney's ``Which Way L.A.?'' That program was intended as a monthlong project aiming to spark healthy, constructive debate following the Rodney King verdicts and the 1992 riots. It was so well-received that it kept going.

Just as national and international news have kept ``To the Point'' interesting, there has been no shortage of local issues to address on ``Which Way L.A.?'' in 10 years' time: the departure of three chiefs of police, mayoral races, the Rampart scandal, efforts to break up the massive school district and much more.

``Sometimes, in the early 'Which Way L.A.?' days, we would put together a cast of characters who seemed to be the logical ones to talk about whatever it was,'' Olney said. ``And we would find to our astonishment that they had never met. So we would be introducing them on the radio, and they would be having a dialogue for the first time.''

What sets these programs apart from the din of other AM or FM talkfests is that the guests are consistently well-informed and reasonable - a tone set by Olney.

``It's a show for people who think, read and are curious,'' Seymour said of ``To the Point.'' ``It's not what I call consolation radio. It doesn't particularly indulge in the idea that every idea is as good as every other idea.''

Although he fell into public radio work by accident, Olney says he would be happy to do it for the duration.

``It's just fun. It's intellectually challenging, and I think it's exciting and it's worth doing,'' he said. ``People who listen say it makes a difference. I can't imagine what else I would do at this point. It seems to be the right place for me.''

WARREN OLNEY

Where: KCRW 89.9 FM.

When: ``To the Point'' airs at 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, and ``Which Way L.A.?'' airs at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, moving to 7 p.m. June 17.

Tonight's topic: ``Which Way L.A.?'' asks ``Will the Valley Secede?'' as it airs live at 6:30 p.m. from the Performing Arts Center at California State University, Northridge. Admission is free and questions will be taken from the audience.

Information: [phone].

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Photo:

Warren Olney pauses Monday during a discussion with a guest on ``To the Point,'' one of his two KCRW-FM radio shows.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer