Nine To Noon for Friday 7 October 2022

 

09:05 Copper land-lines to go, concerns for vulnerable

The copper network is being retired, so what now for vulnerable customers who rely on the land line? Already gone from many households, home phones are fast becoming a thing of the past.  Now customers are being told to be proactive if they do still want one. Copper has provided the "line" for landlines and monitored alarms.  But, Telecoms infrastructure provider Chorus is withdrawing its copper network area by area, from the remaining three percent of homes and businesses still using it, whereever fibre technology is available. No matter the service provider, copper wire land-line customers either need to hang-up the home phone or seek out alternatives.  Kathryn is joined by Chorus spokesperson Steve Pettigrew and SPARK Product Director Tessa Tierney.  Spark operates the network of switches which automatically connect landline calls.

09:25 Reviving Tauranga - can a new plan breathe life into our fifth largest city?

A two-billion dollar plan to transform Tauranga's central city into a busy, vibrant hub where people want to live, work, shop and play has been signed off by the city's four commissioners. The revitalisation project envisages the creation of eight different precincts in the CBD, along with new apartments and commercial buildings. Funding is coming from council, central government and commercial interests. But should a core project using ratepayer funding and decisions over the long term future of the city be driven by council commissioners rather than elected representatives? Kathryn speaks with Council's commission chair Anne Tolley, and President of the Mt Residents and Ratepayers Association and Tauranga Ratepayers Alliance spokesperson Michael O'Neill

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

RNZ Pacific journalist Koroi Hawkins discusses the first in-person meeting for the Pacific Islands News Association  since the start of the pandemic held last week; the US-Pacific partnership agreement signed this week and fears the Fijian language is at risk.

10:05 Being a junior doctor at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital

Izzy Lomax-Sawyers is a junior doctor who has chronicled her first year working in one of New Zealand's busiest hospitals; Middlemore Hospital. In between early morning ward rounds, endless overtime, gruelling night shifts - and a pandemic - Izzy has written a funny and at times heartbreaking account of her first year as a doctor. Vital Signs follows her as she rotates through psychiatry, orthopedics, medicine and surgery, as she grapples with death, diagnosis, sleep deprivation and a lot of highs and lows. 

10:30 Investigation underway into power cable fault

A fault on one of the two power cables linking the north and south islands this morning lead to a warning of possible powercuts by the grid operator Transpower. Generators were asked to increase supply and consumers to reduce power use.The fault was fixed by 8am, the emergency declared over, and Transpower has now begun an investgation into what happened and why. Kathryn speaks with Transpower Chief Executive Alison Andrew.

10:35 Book review: The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes

Tilly Lloyd from Unity Books Wellington reviews The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes, published by Bloomsbury

10:45 The Reading

Episode nine of  'The Kindness Of Your Nature'  by Linda Olsson.

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

Some voices just cannot be denied, and Grant says o it is with the weightless falsetto of Josh Lane from San Diego sweet soul luminaries, Thee Sacred Souls. We'll hear two tracks from their self-titled debut album today, alongside a self-described "modern nomadic gothic love song" from San Francisco ex-pat Young Moon and a snotty 30 year old indie punk classic from Dunedin trio, Doublehappys.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Sam looks ahead to a big weekend of sport with the official start of the Women's Rugby World Cup.

11:45 The week that was

Comedians Michele A'Court and Irene Pink are excited about the world's biggest bouncy castle coming to Auckland.