Peter Warren (radio)
Encyclopedia
Peter Warren is a Canadian
investigative journalist
, private investigator
, former talk radio
host and member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.
, one of three sons, himself, Tim Warren and John Warren. Warren worked briefly as a junior sports reporter on Fleet Street
after being expelled from Dulwich College
. He then moved to Canada where he wrote for various newspaper
s including the Calgary Herald
, the Toronto Telegram
, the Winnipeg Tribune
, and the Saint John Telegraph-Journal. He has also written for Maclean's Magazine, The Globe and Mail, The Manchester Guardian, TIME Magazine and the Hong Kong Star. He celebrated 50 years in Canada (all as a journalist) on Nov. 10, 2009.
Warren rose to fame as an "open line" radio talk show host, a career he would enjoy for 35 years, the longest such tenure in North America. Warren moderated the popular Action Line morning talk show on CJOB
in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1971 to 1998 when he was replaced by Charles Adler
. He moved to Victoria, British Columbia
and hosted a syndicated weekend radio program, Warren on the Weekend
from 1998 to 2006. In March 2006 he left radio to concentrate on his work as an investigative journalist probing cold cases and wrongful convictions. An outspoken critic of the Canadian justice system, Warren had in the past used his show to campaign on behalf of wrongfully convicted persons such as David Milgaard
, Steven Truscott
, James Driskell
, Thomas Sophonow
and on behalf of the families of victims of alleged serial killer Robert Pickton
. The final edition of Warren on the Weekend aired on March 5, 2006.
A list of cases Warren is currently working on is available on his website.http://www.peterwarren.ca He also offers services as a private investigator and as a ghost writer.http://www.peterwarren.ca/peterwarrenpages/services.htm
judged to be of "outstanding significance and national importance" by the Canadian Cultural Property Board. He has interviewed seven Canadian Prime Ministers head-to-head. Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
once said that an interview with him "was worse than Question Period
."
After infiltrating a Ponzi (Pyramid) Scheme meeting at the Marlborough Hotel in Winnipeg, Warren produced a three-part series for The Winnipeg Tribune which resulted in the very first legislation against such practises in North America -- for which he was later honored by the University of Mississippi journalism department.
Warren has also dabbled in stage acting and narration for film and television.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
investigative journalist
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
, private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, former talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.
Biography
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, one of three sons, himself, Tim Warren and John Warren. Warren worked briefly as a junior sports reporter on Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
after being expelled from Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
. He then moved to Canada where he wrote for various newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s including the Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
, the Toronto Telegram
Toronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
, the Winnipeg Tribune
Winnipeg Tribune
The Winnipeg Tribune was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old Winnipeg Sun newspaper. It was often viewed as a liberal...
, and the Saint John Telegraph-Journal. He has also written for Maclean's Magazine, The Globe and Mail, The Manchester Guardian, TIME Magazine and the Hong Kong Star. He celebrated 50 years in Canada (all as a journalist) on Nov. 10, 2009.
Warren rose to fame as an "open line" radio talk show host, a career he would enjoy for 35 years, the longest such tenure in North America. Warren moderated the popular Action Line morning talk show on CJOB
CJOB (AM)
CJOB is a talk radio station located at 680 kHz on the AM band in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is owned and operated by Corus Radio, a national media company in Canada. CJOB has been the highest-rated radio station in Winnipeg for many years, and is also the sister station of CJGV-FM and CJKR-FM...
in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1971 to 1998 when he was replaced by Charles Adler
Charles Adler (broadcaster)
Charles Adler is a Hungarian-born Canadian broadcaster who, when he was a child, was smuggled in a backpack out of Hungary by his father during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Charles grew up in Montreal, where he started his broadcast career while attending McGill University...
. He moved to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
and hosted a syndicated weekend radio program, Warren on the Weekend
Warren on the Weekend
Warren on the Weekend was a syndicated Canadian talk radio program hosted by Peter Warren from 1998 to 2006. It was broadcast on several AM radio stations, mainly in Western Canada, on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time on the Corus Radio Network. Warren left the show in...
from 1998 to 2006. In March 2006 he left radio to concentrate on his work as an investigative journalist probing cold cases and wrongful convictions. An outspoken critic of the Canadian justice system, Warren had in the past used his show to campaign on behalf of wrongfully convicted persons such as David Milgaard
David Milgaard
David Milgaard is a Canadian who was wrongfully convicted for the murder and rape of nursing assistant Gail Miller.- Arrest and trial :...
, Steven Truscott
Steven Truscott
Steven Murray Truscott is a Canadian man who was sentenced to death in 1959, when he was a 14-year old student, for the murder of classmate Lynne Harper...
, James Driskell
James Driskell
James Patrick Driskell is a Canadian who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of Perry Harder in 1991. Driskell has 7 children and 14 grandchildren.-The Crime and Prosecution:...
, Thomas Sophonow
Thomas Sophonow
Thomas Sophonow is a wrongfully accused Canadian criminal. Sophonow was tried three times in the 1981 murder of doughnut-shop clerk Barbara Stoppel. Sophonow spent four years imprisoned. In 1985, he was then acquitted by the Manitoba Court of Appeal...
and on behalf of the families of victims of alleged serial killer Robert Pickton
Robert Pickton
Robert William "Willie" Pickton of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada is a former pig farmer and serial killer convicted of the second-degree murders of six women. He is also charged in the deaths of an additional twenty women, many of them prostitutes and drug users from Vancouver's...
. The final edition of Warren on the Weekend aired on March 5, 2006.
A list of cases Warren is currently working on is available on his website.http://www.peterwarren.ca He also offers services as a private investigator and as a ghost writer.http://www.peterwarren.ca/peterwarrenpages/services.htm
Career highlights and trivia
Throughout his career, Warren has been noted for his bold editorials, aggressive interview style and nose for detective work. He has donated personal archives to the University of ManitobaUniversity of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
judged to be of "outstanding significance and national importance" by the Canadian Cultural Property Board. He has interviewed seven Canadian Prime Ministers head-to-head. Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
once said that an interview with him "was worse than Question Period
Question Period
Question Period, known officially as Oral Questions occurs each sitting day in the Canadian House of Commons. According to the House of Commons Compendium, “The primary purpose of Question Period is to seek information from the Government and to call it to account for its actions.”-History:The...
."
- He has gone undercoverUndercover journalismUndercover journalism is a form of journalism in which a reporter tries to infiltrate in a community by posing as somebody friendly to that community. Journalists who are famous for their undercover reports include:*Hunter S...
as a prisoner in a federal penitentiaryPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and as a patient in a psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
for investigative purposes. In 1980, after establishing a daily world-exclusive radio interview with Iranian students holding 52 hostages in the American Embassy in Iran, Flora MacDonald, Canadian foreign affairs minister, telephoned and asked him not to air the following day's scheduled broadcast -- and, later, the world found out why: in what became known as "the Canadian Caper," six American diplomats were smuggled out of the Canadian embassy with government-endorsed phony Canadian passports and whisked by air to Zurich.
After infiltrating a Ponzi (Pyramid) Scheme meeting at the Marlborough Hotel in Winnipeg, Warren produced a three-part series for The Winnipeg Tribune which resulted in the very first legislation against such practises in North America -- for which he was later honored by the University of Mississippi journalism department.
- Four escaped convicts once gave themselves up to him on-the-air.
- In the 1980s, he carried on a lengthy correspondence with convicted child serial killer Clifford OlsonClifford OlsonClifford Robert Olson, Jr. was a convicted Canadian serial killer who confessed to murdering two children and nine youths in the early 1980s.-Murders:...
.
- Child pornographer Robin Sharpe was a three-time guest on his show.
- His on-air demeanour was occasionally gruff. "Get on with it!" became a trademark phrase he used to prod callers.
- In October, 1999 the Canadian Broadcast Standards CouncilCanadian Broadcast Standards CouncilThe Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer standards established by its members, Canada's private broadcasters....
found that Warren was in breach of the Canadian Association of BroadcastersCanadian Association of BroadcastersThe Canadian Association of Broadcasters was the national voice of Canada's private broadcasters, representing the vast majority of Canadian programming services, including private radio and television stations, specialty, pay and pay-per-view services....
' Code of Ethics when he stated on-air at CKNW that "Born-again Christians are the scum of the earth."
- He is a former boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and accredited boxing judgeBoxing judgeA boxing judge is responsible for judging the results of a boxing match, with as many as three judges typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures.A boxing match that has not...
, and has interviewed Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Rocky MarcianoRocky MarcianoRocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
.
Warren has also dabbled in stage acting and narration for film and television.
Awards and honours
- Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Quarter Century Club
- The Province of ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
's Order of the Buffalo Hunt - 1992: 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada MedalThe 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada...
- 1997: Broadcaster of the Year, Western Association of Broadcasters
- 1999: Inducted to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame