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Lu Olkowski Producer
Lu Olkowski

Independent Producer

Lu Olkowski is an independent producer based in New York. Her radio work has been heard on State of the Re:Union, Studio 360, This American Life, Radiolab, All Things Considered, Weekend America, The World and the BBC World Service among others. Her work has won the National Edward R. Murrow award, the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists, the RTNDA/Unity award, three Gracie awards, a Third Coast International Audio Festival award and the Salute to Excellence award from the National Association of Black Journalists. In 2014, Lu produced Cargoland, a five-part series for KCRW that goes behind the gates of America's busiest waterfront, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

FROM Lu Olkowski

The Pirate
UnFictional

The Pirate A cigarette at his lips, parrot Bok-Bok on his shoulder, Johnny O spent 68 years on the San Pedro waterfront, he calls himself a pirate. (Repeat)

29 min, 1 sec Apr 15, 2016

High-Tech Meets Hollywood in Playa Vista
Which Way, L.A.?

High-Tech Meets Hollywood in Playa Vista Move over Facebook, Microsoft and Snapchat. Google is coming to Playa Vista on 900,000 acres next to the “Spruce Goose” hangar, a relic of innovation past. Google's arrival is expected to combine technology and entertainment and create a new center-weight for Silicon Beach.  We hear the advance hype.

23 min, 13 sec Dec 04, 2014

More Business but Fewer Jobs at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles
Which Way, L.A.?

More Business but Fewer Jobs at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles Big changes have come to local ports since the Great Recession. Traffic moves faster, the competition is stiffer and cargo ships are massively bigger.  It's all leading in the direction of automation -- and that means fewer jobs. As part of KCRW's week-long look at the ports, we bring you a special, in-depth look at those changes and the people affected by them.

23 min, 59 sec Dec 03, 2014

“Cargoland” Preview
Press Play with Madeleine Brand

“Cargoland” Preview The twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach make up the biggest port complex in the country. If it’s in your house -- furniture, clothes, food, the car in your garage -- chances are it came through the ports. But getting all that stuff from the ships to the shelves to your hands relies on many, many people. All week, we’ll be hearing the stories of those people on Which Way, L.A? , Morning Edition , All Things Considered , and UnFictional , in an original series called Cargoland . Madeleine gets a preview from producer Lu Olkowski.

12 min, 19 sec Dec 01, 2014

Johnny O: The Pirate’s Story
Cargoland

Johnny O: The Pirate’s Story A true old-timer just keeps dancing, even in the face of uncertain change. CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.

27 min, 38 sec Nov 26, 2014

The Miracle: A Surprising Day on the Steel Dock
Cargoland

The Miracle: A Surprising Day on the Steel Dock Harold Ericsson recalls one hot day unloading steel from deep in the bottom of a ship, when all of the sudden someone offered him an ice cold Manhattan.

7 min, 28 sec Nov 26, 2014

The Casual Worker: No Benefits, No Guarantees
Cargoland

The Casual Worker: No Benefits, No Guarantees Spend a day in the unpredictable life of a casual worker, a freelance longshoreman who must rack up enough hours to reach union status.

11 min, 57 sec Nov 26, 2014

Automation: Will Innovation Mean Fewer Jobs?
Cargoland

Automation: Will Innovation Mean Fewer Jobs? The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are facing new technology to handle the challenges of staying competitive. This all started after the 2008 economic crash, which fundamentally changed the ports.

21 min, 52 sec Nov 26, 2014

The Pilots: Steering Ships the Size of Skyscrapers
Cargoland

The Pilots: Steering Ships the Size of Skyscrapers As ships get bigger, a pilot’s job gets more difficult.

11 min, 18 sec Nov 26, 2014

Guns in America
News Special Programming

Guns in America Mark Mardell presents three unexpected stories about how guns feature in American culture.

Jun 07, 2014

Life in Las Casitas, Newbury Park's Immigrant Community
Sonic Trace

Life in Las Casitas, Newbury Park's Immigrant Community Immigrants live in a unique housing situation to be close to work — in suburbia.

8 min, 31 sec Nov 13, 2013

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Limits of Confidentiality
Second Opinion

Limits of Confidentiality How is a doctor to judge whether there is sufficient danger to others to break the rules around confidentiality?

3 min, 22 sec Dec 09, 2018

The Best Holiday Gifts for Your Smart Friends
Art Talk

The Best Holiday Gifts for Your Smart Friends Edward Goldman gives suggestions for holiday gift shopping.

3 min, 46 sec Dec 04, 2018

Kristoffer Polaha on Hallmark movies; Netflix's Lisa Nishimura
The Business

Kristoffer Polaha on Hallmark movies; Netflix's Lisa Nishimura In 2015, actor Kristoffer Polaha booked what he thought would be a one-off gig in a Hallmark TV movie. Now, he’s got 5 Hallmark films under his belt. He tells us how he and the Hallmark Channel fell in love. Then, KCRW's Matt Holzman sits down with Netflix's Lisa Nishimura. The head of original documentaries and comedy programming for the streamer tells us how she decides what will become a Netflix original.

28 min, 32 sec Dec 10, 2018

The decline of Sunset Magazine
LA Observed

The decline of Sunset Magazine It’s been a western staple for more than a century. But the situation is reportedly pretty dire over at Sunset Magazine. The perennial publication of life in the west has fallen on hard times with dwindling ad sales and corresponding cash shortages. Will new ownership turn things around, or drive the magazine out of business?

4 min, 25 sec Dec 04, 2018

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