Nights for Thursday 29 August 2024

8:10 The House

Tonight on our Parliament show - the House - Phil Smith brings an unusually explosive petitioners' submission heard at Parliament today.

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Nights Jukebox

Mark Leishman plays your requests - as long as you've got a compelling reason, or a good story to go with it.

Send in your requests to nights@rnz.co.nz or text 2101.

8:45 The Reading

We continue David Hill's story of music, love and consequences. Tonight, part 12 of Duet.

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Mark Leishman as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:15 Gen X, Boomers, Millennials: Are generations really a thing?

Nights' resident sociolinguist Julia de Bres takes the idea of 'generational differences' to task.

9:35 Rocket Man & Piano Man: Life on the road as a tribute act

Wellington musicians Cam and Sam have travelled up and down the country with their tribute act, Elton John vs. Billy Joel, clocking over 7000 kilometres in 2023.

They join Mark Leishman and share their experience stepping into the shoes of two of music's greatest showmen, in the midst of their 2024 tour.

10:17 Irreplaceable archive of New Zealand rugby photos up for auction

Over 40,000 images from the waylaid Fairfax Archives are up for auction, featuring over 2,500 individual players from the last hundred years, including photos of the All Blacks' 1925 Invincibles Tour.

As of yet, no library or archive has indicated they will step in to purchase the collection. 

AUT history professor Dr Paul Moon says the photos represent an irreplacable visual record of New Zealand's sporting history, and is concerned the collection will fall into private ownership.

He joins Mark Leishman.

10:30 Dr Joel Rindelaub: Science is no joke

Self-described 'cool nerd' Dr Joel Rindelaub is an ice-hockey player, turned chemist, turned comedian.

In between lecturing at the University of Auckland, Joel performs science-based stand-up. Returning from a sold-out run at this year's NZ International Comedy Festival - and a US tour - Joel is bringing his show 'Science Is No Joke' back to Auckland's Q Theatre this weekend.

He joins Mark Leishman to share the funny side of science.

10:40 Friendly labrador and brainy collie-cross take out Top Dog competition

Out of the nearly 400 dogs from Whangārei to Invercargill, Greta, Hamilton City Council's reading buddy dog, and Muddi an ex-avalanche dog, have been crowned this year's Top Dog with a Job and Top Office Dog, respectively, in the Frog Recruitment Top Dog competition.

Their owners, Kate Hill and Catherine Hughes, join Mark Leishman.

10:55 Pacific Music Award winners revealed

RNZ Pacific's Susana Suisuiki joins Mark Leishman to share the winners of tonight's 20th annual Pacific Music Awards live from the Due Drop events centre in Manukau.

11:07 The Mixtape

You may have spotted our Mixtape guest outside a bookshop or cafe on the main street of your town, sitting behind a card table displaying neatly stacked poems, each with a signature hand stamped cover. 

David Merritt is a former student newspaper editor, University lecturer and old friend of Flying Nun Records. 
Today, he lives and works as a full time poet - a rare gig in New Zealand. He spends his days touring the country, with a box of poetry, which he sells, trades or gives away.

Last Friday National Poetry Day was celebrated across the country. Poets took to the footpaths, bars, bookshops and local libraries. To mark the day, David Merritt joins Charlotte Ryan for an hour of music and talk.