SPECIAL OWNERSHIP OPTION PROGRAM
                                 JOHN STEINER

TERM:               10 year non-qualified stock option.

VESTING:            Dependent on meeting individual ownership target.

                    Option vests 100% between 24 and 36 months after grant
                    when target is met.
                    
                    If 36 months pass without target being achieved, the
                    option doesn't vest until 7 years after grant date.

OWNERSHIP:          Shares counted as ownership include:
                    Restricted shares not yet vested
                    - 401K purchases
                    - Deferral Investment Plan and Deposits in Stock
                    - Outright market purchases

                    Note:  Shares acquired through option exercise of
                    grants made after 1989 do not count.

OWNERSHIP TARGET:   Ownership target equals 90% of shares derived from 
                    table below:

                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    Years as an
                    Officer      Target Ownership as a Multiple of Base Salary
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    10+               2.0       2.5       3.0        3.5
                    5 to 9            1.0       1.5       2.0        2.5
                    0-4               0.5       1.0       1.5        2.0
                                      ---       ---       ---        ---
                       LESS THAN $150,000  $151,000 to $201,000 to  GREATER 
                                           $200,000    $250,000   THAN $250,000
                    -----------------------------------------------------------

                    If current ownership shortfall has a value less than 
                    .9X base salary, then the target is
                    raised so that the Delta is .9X base salary.
                    
                    At least 1/4 of shares acquired to meet the goal must come 
                    from outright market purchases.

INDIVIDUAL TARGET:  Your individual target summary:

                    Total Target  Current     Shortfall      Outright Purchase
                    Ownership    Ownership    to Acquire        Requirement   
                    ------------ ----------   -----------     ----------------
                     29,822         293         29,529             7,382


                                MAGNETEK, INC.
                     NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
   
   FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, MAGNETEK, INC., a Delaware 
corporation, hereby irrevocably grants to the Optionee named below the 
non-qualified stock option (the "Option") to purchase any part or all of the 
specified number of shares of its $0.01 par value Common Stock upon the terms 
and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the specified 
purchase price per share without commission or other charge.  The Option is 
granted pursuant to the plan specified below (the "Plan") and the Standard 
Terms and Conditions promulgated under such Plan.  The terms of the Plan and 
such Standard Terms and Conditions are hereby incorporated herein by 
reference and made a part of this Agreement.  The Committee shall have the 
power to interpret this Agreement.

The Plan:                 Second Amended and Restated 1989 Incentive Stock 
                          Compensation Plan of MagneTek, Inc.

Name of Optionee:         John E. Steiner

Social Security Number:   ###-##-####

Number of Shares 
covered by Option 
(subject to lapse 
provisions and other 
limitations on 
exercisability in 
accordance with the 
terms of the Plan):       15,000

Purchase Price Per Share: $13.8125

Minimum Number of Shares 
Per Partial Exercise:     100 Shares

The Option shall become 
exercisable as follows:   Except as provided in the following paragraph, 
                          the Option shall become fully exercisable
                          as of January 27, 2004.

                          In the event the Ownership Target in the Special 
                          Ownership Option Program provided to
                          Optionee by letter is satisfied prior to 
                          January 27, 2000, the Option shall become fully 
                          exercisable on the later of (i) January 27,1999 
                          and (ii) the date, prior to January 27, 2000, 
                          on which such Ownership Target is so satisfied.

Date of this Agreement (grant date):  January 27, 1997

MAGNETEK, INC.                         __________________________________
                                       Optionee Signature

                                       Address (please print):
By ________________________________    __________________________________
By ________________________________    __________________________________
                                       __________________________________