PANELISTS WHO APPEARED IN PERSON ON SAT OCT 29 2022
Dan Blackburn
- 50+ years as a radio and television reporter and anchor... Dan describes it "a half a century in a front row seat."
- Covered almost every presidential campaign for more than three decades.
- Washington D.C. Bureau Chief for Metromedia News
- White House correspondent
- Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Peace Corps
- NBC News correspondent based in Burbank for thirteen years.
- CNN Correspondent for four years.
- A contributing writer for the Washington Post over the course of several years both while in Washington, DC and in Los Angeles.
- Runs his own consulting and video production company, Image Associates.
- Dan is also an accomplished author with his third and most recent book especially relevant now. It's title: "Presidents & Predators" - very much about politics and government. His 2nd book was “Wild & Wonderful – Photography of the Western United States.” His first work was “Zen & The Cross Country Skier" - reflecting his interest (at the time) in backcountry skiing.
- As you might assume from what you've just read, Dan is a prominent wildlife photographer, as well as a widely consulted political analyst.
Jim Lemon
- General manager, formerly News director for Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo ABC affiliate KEYT for past seven years.
- He's also general manager (and former news director) for the CBS and Fox affiliates on the Central Coast.
- Previously managed news departments in four other cities.
- Has also been an anchor, reporter and news producer.
- Has a unique perspective among our panelists, from a small market television station, and the challenges they face.
John Schwada
- A former newspaper and TV reporter who for several decades covered politics and government from Los Angeles.
- He was twice honored as journalist of the year by the Society of Professional Journalists, LA Chapter; in 1989, SPJ-LA named him the best newspaper journalist, in 2008 the same organization named him best TV journalist.
- In 2011 the LA Press Club awarded John the Joseph M. Quinn Award for "local reporting excellence."
- As a reporter for 17 years at Fox 11 News, John had the honor of working with News Director Jose Rios and with extraordinary producers Pete Noyes and Bob Tarlau.
- John attended UC Berkeley during the heady years of campus protests, receiving a BA in journalism and history and later a master's degree in American history, also from UC Berkeley.
- He is married and has two adult sons.
- He currently is the sole proprietor of MediaFix Associates, a firm that has provided consulting services to scores of politicians, government agencies and non-profit organizations.
Conan Nolan
- Conan is the chief political reporter for KNBC-TV Channel 4. He's been wih the station since 1986.
- He hosts KNBC's "News Conference" - one of the country's longest running local political/public affairs shows.
- Nolan's first full-time broadcasting position was at KVEC-AM radio in San Luis Obispo, where he served as the Assistant News Director. Two years later, he moved to television, first as a weekday reporter and weekend sports anchor at KSBY-TV. He later moved to KSBW-TV in the Salinas/Monterey market.
- Nolan was selected in 2010 as the television “Journalist of the Year” for the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
- He has also reported on behalf of NBC News from Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and from Pakistan and the Afghan border during the invasion of Afghanistan.
- He received an Emmy Award for his reports on child refugees in the Pakistani frontier and a Golden Mike Award for a report on the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu and the consequences of global warming.
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PANELISTS WHO APPEARED VIRTUALLY IN OCTOBER 2020
(in addition to Dan and Jim):
Warren Olney
- For over 25 years, television news anchor and or reporter for four L.A. Television stations, channels 2,4,7, and 13 as well as Washington D.C. Station WTOP.
- Also was a print reporter for the Sacramento Bee.
- For 24 years was the host of KCRW’s local public affairs show “Which Way L.A.”
- Hosted the nationally syndicated Public Radio Show “To The Point” for 16 years.
- Since 2017, he has continued to host “To The Point” as a weekly KCRW podcast.
- He has won nearly 40 awards, including a Golden Mike for lifetime achievement.
- Throughout his career, Warren has covered local, state and national politics.
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe
- Nationally respected political analyst
- USC Professor of Public Policy (retired)
- Political commentator for KNBC-LA (retired)
- Political analyst for NBC, MSNBC, BBC among other national and international media
- A frequent writer about California and American government and politics
Bill Boyarsky
- 30 years with the Los Angeles Times as political writer, featured columnist and city editor
- Member of reporting teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes
- Author of six books including:
- Two biographies of Ronald Reagan, one about the Chandler family dynasty
- Also a book on the history of the Los Angeles Times - a companion to a PBS documentary.
- Longtime political correspondent for online publication truthdig.com
[ Bill and Sherry co-host a weekly podcast titled "Inside California Politics" available at this link...
or from wherever you stream or download your podcasts.
It's an noteworthy and unique analysis of both state and national political affairs. ]
Dave Bryan
- Retired in May 2019 after a 43 year career in broadcast journalism
- Investigative television reporter in Baltimore for six years
- Eight years at San Francisco CBS station KPIX
- 25 years at CBS-2 and KCAL (Los Angeles)
- From 1994, KCAL’s full time political reporter.