Nights for Thursday 13 February 2025

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 Going Underground! 

The disruption to Auckland's CBD has been there for all to see as the Central Rail Link, the city's underground railway, has inched its subterranean way beneath the streets of the city. 

Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of Auckland Council's City Centre Advisory Panel and joins Mark to talk about this exciting development. 

 

8:45 The Reading

Madeline McNamara reading Frame by Vincent O'Sullivan from his collection The Families published by Victoria University Press.

 

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.

 

9:25 Philosophy Now with Dan Weijers

Every month on Nights, University of Waikato philosophy lecturer Dan Weijers unpacks some of life's big issues - whether it's love, death, happiness, or whether it's morally right to keep a pet goldfish.

This Friday millions of people around the world will be having Valentine's Day dates with human-like dolls or AI holograms or AI chatbots.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s day, so tonight we're exploring whether romance with human-like dolls or AI holograms or chatbots will replace real love.

 

9:40 Te Radar’s Cookbookery

Stand-up comedian Te Radar has trawled 150 years of New Zealand cookbooks - and found the quirkiest things he could.

It's all for his show Te Radar's Cookbookery! which he's performing at Hamilton Arts Festival this month.

Te Radar joins Mark Leishman on Nights.

 

10:18 What’s it like being young in New Zealand?  

Growing Up in New Zealand is a long-running longitudinal study following the lives of more than 6,000 children as they grow up.

 The cohort has just turned fifteen years old and this month, insights from that much-awaited 15-year check in will be published – a period when sleep patterns, screen time, friendships and cultural identities all impact wellbeing.

Growing up in New Zealand's research director Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Paine joins Mark Leishman.

 

10:30 Queer Elders lending an ear to our rainbow community 

February is New Zealand pride month and a group of 'queer elders' are offering a listening ear for any young members of the rainbow community who want to chat.

Luca Bree has counted himself a member of the LGBTQIA+ community for decades – but only came out as a transgender man in his late sixties.

Now in his seventies, Luca is one of the queer elders sharing his wisdom at events across Auckland this month.

Luca speaks to Mark Leishman.

 

10:45 Right to Repair Bill to get first Parliament reading 

A Right to Repair Bill has its first reading in Parliament next week and if successful will mean manufacturers would need to ensure repair facilities and spare parts were made available in New Zealand.

While it isn’t written in law yet, the reading is still a big win for campaigners who've fought for years for better consumer protections akin to countries like Australia and the UK which already have similar laws.

Professor of Commercial law Alex Sims has long campaigned for stronger consumer protections and joins Mark on Nights.

 

11:07 The Mixtape

Picking the tunes is DJ and multi-instrumentalist producer Pachyman who is performing across New Zealand this month.