Nights for Tuesday 25 February 2020

 

7:12 The Battle for Budapest

Military Historian Damien Fenton joins us once again. Tonight he marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle for Budapest (24 December 1944 - 13 February 1945).

Surrounded by the Red Army on 24 December 1945 the Soviet High Command (STAVKA) estimated that it would take no more than four days to force the remaining Axis forces inside the Hungarian capital to surrender. Instead the garrison of approximately 79,000 German and Hungarian troops held out against impossible odds for almost two months turning the Battle for Budapest into an epic siege second only to Stalingrad in terms of its duration, the ferocity of the fighting and the scale of destruction unleashed upon the city.

7:30 Song Crush

On this week's Song Crush: French balladry, Lyttleton folk and space operatics.   Host Tony Stamp is joined by RNZ Studio Operator and Afternoons music critic Jana Te Nahu Owen and Mediawatch's new producer Hayden Donnell, formerly of NZ Music Award-winning folk duo Great North.  

8:15 Dateline Pacific

RNZ Pacific's daily current affairs programme covering the major Pacific stories of the week, with background and reaction from the people making the news.

8:30 Window on the World

In tonight's Window on the World, Alan Dein connects with strangers across the world via social media, exploring the things that unite people across cultures and borders. 

9:07 Raising The Bar

Two diverse subjects are explored in informal talks from University of Auckland lecturers - the use of robots in health care and education, and the interconnections between economics, happiness and our era of climate change. We'll hear from Dr Ross McDonald and Dr Craig Sutherland talking in front of sold-out audiences in a city bar during the Raising the Bar night held last August. 

10:17 Lately

Lately with Karyn Hay is a late night radio show on RNZ National, with an eye on live events, an ear for music, a great sense of humour and a genuine interest in people and their stories.

11:07 Worlds of Music

On Worlds of Music, Trevor Reekie features an interview recorded in 2015 with New York film producer, Jeff Lieberman. He talks about self financing and producing a well researched film documentary called The Amazing Nina Simone', a musician still considered one of the most remarkable musical artists of the 20th century as well as a courageous advocate of the American Civil rights movement.

Lieberman describes the life-journey Eunice Waymon made that saw her later change her name to Nina Simone and create a musical legacy that continues to resonate to this day.