Media Releases
Monthly highlights: August
Released at 8:26 am on 24 July 2024
23 July 2024
RNZ In Paris
First Up with Nathan Rarere will broadcast live from Paris for two weeks from 29 July with all the colour from the streets of France and New Zealand House. Nathan will be joined by coaches, athletes, medalists and their families along with key business leaders showcasing Aotearoa to the world. He will third-wheel into Morning Report with Corin and Ingrid and wake up in Paris in time to share with Checkpoint listeners the latest on New Zealand’s medal hopes.
Sports journalists Dana Johannsen, Barry Guy and Felicity Reid will provide comprehensive coverage on the ground crossing live to RNZ National programmes, wrapping the day’s events and filing stories for radio and RNZ’s digital channels. Catch all RNZ's online coverage at rnz.co.nz/olympics
Paris Essentials Podcast
The Paris Essentials podcast will bring all the action from Paris, with bite sized coverage of daily news, interviews with athletes, coaches and supporters in Paris and New Zealand. Hosted by RNZ’s Ben Strang. Released daily during the games at 11am, from Wednesday 24 July. Available on rnz.co.nz/paris and on all podcast platforms.
Radio news & events
RNZ National
Māpuna live at WORD Christchurch
Celebrated broadcaster Julian Wilcox (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa) takes his RNZ National radio programme Māpuna on the road with a live-in person show at WORD Festival in Christchurch. Every Saturday, Māpuna celebrates Māori from all walks of life to kōrero about history, arts, politics, business, food, music and much more. ‘He māpuna e arohatia ana, e kaingāukautia ana.’ In this special live broadcast, Julian hosts Māori writers Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, Tina Makereti and Airana Ngarewa for a panel discussion highlighting their latest work and a broader korero about Māori storytelling and where it could go next?
Live-in person and broadcast on RNZ National on Saturday 31 August, 12-1pm.
Culture 101 in Christchurch for WORD
Culture 101 will also be in Christchurch for the week of WORD festival. Hosts Perlina Lau and Mark Amery will be broadcasting live with a panel discussing the highlights and best moments of the festival as well as chatting to writers and panelists in the lead up.
Broadcast Sunday 1 September, 12-4pm on RNZ National.
RNZ Concert
RNZ Concert will support live streams of two major youth singing competitions in August.
NZCT Chamber Music Contest - Friday 2 August, 6.30pm & Tuesday 20 August, 8pm.
RNZ Concert will support the live video stream of the 60th National final of Chamber Music Contest.
Thousands of high school musicians participate each year to focus on their performance in small groups. Watch the live video stream on Friday 2 August from 6:30pm on the RNZ Concert Facebook page. Listen to the Finals on Tuesday 20 August from 8pm during Music Alive on RNZ Concert.
The Big Sing - Thursday 29 August & Saturday 31 August.
To finish off the month, RNZ Concert will also be supporting the live video stream of The Big Sing Finale – a competition that showcases high school singing groups from across Aotearoa. Watch the live video streams between Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 August on the RNZ Concert Facebook Page. The Big Sing Gala concert will broadcast on radio later on Friday 13 September from 8pm during Music Alive.
New content
Two NZIFF films to be featured on rnz.co.nz
Two New Zealand made films I Am a Dark River and The Haka Party Incident will premiere at Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival this year and will be followed by their digital debut at rnz.co.nz in the coming months.
Nau Mai Town S3
Podcast | Launching Thursday 1 August
Nau Mai Town is back for season three – from bustling cities to coastal gems, join presenter Justine Murray as she visits heartland Aotearoa to seek out the story behind some of Aotearoa’s place names. Across five episodes, Murray hits the road and talks with the keepers of that local history, exploring Paihia, Moerewa, Kohimarama and more – from Reverend Henry Williams exclamation that a town in the far North was 'Pai' or 'Good' to the meaning of the name in South Auckland thanks to the thousands of migratory birds that visit the harbor.
Launching on Thursday 1 August with a new episode each Thursday on rnz.co.nz, on radio Thursdays 3.30pm and on all podcast platforms.
Thrift S2
Podcast | Launching Tuesday 13 August
Thrift is back for season two! In season one, presenter Katy Gosset explored practical ways to get the most out of your money from experts as well as everyday people. In this season Katy discusses wise ways to trim your costs, learning some great tips and offering listeners the chance to share their own. Across each episode, Gosset will explore a different theme from socialising and having a good time on the cheap, permaculture and community gardens, bringing back the ‘old ways’ of preserving and pickling – and lots more. With 'out and about' audio, lively discussions and hands-on hints, Thrift is on a mission to meet people who are saving money and to help build a community that can do the same.
Season two launches on Tuesday 13 August with a new episode each Tuesday on rnz.co.nz/thrift, on Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan and on podcast platforms.
Desert Hikoi
Video series | Launching Thursday 15 August
Desert Hikoi is a new four-part video series following multi-award-winning Māori musician and actor, Troy Kingi, as he makes the journey from Kerikeri to one of the most iconic music studios in the world, Rancho de La Luna in Joshua Tree – with the hopes of sourcing some much-needed inspiration for his upcoming Desert Rock album (a first love genre for him) as he aims to record 10 albums, in 10 genres, in 10 years.
Desert Hikoi isn’t just a music documentary – it’s the journey of a group of artists finding their richest vein of creativity, whilst going deep within and learning about themselves. With the ambitious schedule of writing and recording an entire album in just ten days, across each episode, Troy and his band need to dig deep.
Releasing on rnz.co.nz/desert on Thursday 15 August, Desert Hikoi is the story behind Kingi’s new album Leatherman & the Mojave Green, out on Friday 16 August.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.
Watch the trailer here
Featured
Black Sheep S8
Podcast | Releasing Friday 26 July
RNZ's award winning Black Sheep podcast returns for Season 8 with a new cast of rogues and villains from New Zealand history. Across seven episodes, host William Ray takes us to a New Plymouth hotel which was held up at gunpoint by a masked gunman who turned out to be a teenager who'd read too many wild-west stories. Black Sheep also investigates the notorious Surafend massacre, where Anzac troops murdered upwards of 40 Arab civilians in Southern Palestine, and we look at a prolific wildlife poacher who spent much of the 1980s and 90s trying to steal native tuatara, kea and other animals on behalf of overseas collectors.
The new season launches on rnz.co.nz/black-sheep and on all podcast apps on Friday 26 July, with a new episode every week. It will also air on RNZ National weekly at 7am from Sunday 28 July.
Did Titanic Sink? S2
Podcast | Out now
Following the success of award-winning comedy podcast Did Titanic Sink? RNZ, podcasters and comedians Tim Batt, Carlo Ritchie and Abby Howells have joined forces for a new investigation. Batt and Richie spent months in Te Waipounamu, scouring small towns for sightings of The Canterbury Cat, before a meeting with a local brought them some surprising intel that changed the direction and scope of the investigation.
Listen on rnz.co.nz/titanic and on all podcast apps, and on RNZ National on Mondays every week at 7.30pm.
