Nights for Wednesday 31 July 2024

8:10 The House

The House looks at today's select committee briefing from our state broadcasters, who assured members that they were still very much alive.

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

Emile Donovan 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: Billy Bird

Continuing our adaptation of 'Billy Bird', by Emma Neale.

When he loses his cousin Billy takes to acting like a bird. His parents are distressed, but it not until Liam, the father, begins to deal with his own grief that Billy abandon's his protective fantasy.

Here's Victoria Abbott reading 'Billy Bird'.

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan 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 Claire Concannon catch-up

Claire Concannon from Our Changing World joins Nights to chat about some interesting stories in the science and science-adjacent worlds.

9:30 Midweek Mediawatch

Hayden Donnell joins Emile Donovan for Mediawatch's weekly catch-up. Tonight he's chatting about the use of AI by one of New Zealand's largest media organisations, coverage of the Olympics and New Zealand's slow start to the games and the fact checking of the Government's 14 layers of bureaucracy at Health NZ’ claim.

10:17 Scientists sound alarm over increase in drug resistant malaria parasites.

Scientists are warning that malaria parasites resistant to the effects of critical drugs are on the rise.

Twenty eight of the world's leading malaria researchers are calling for urgent action to avoid the deaths of millions.

One of the co-authors of the paper Dr Mehul Dhorda speaks to Emile Donovan.

10:30 The Wānaka man who took on Peter Thiel's plan for a lake front luxury lodge

From the outside it looks like a classic David vs Goliath battle.

Though this showdown was over billionaire Peter Thiel's plans to build a 330m-long luxury lodge overlooking Lake Wānaka.

Just like in the old testament, the underdogs have come out on top in this battle, with the Queenstown Lakes District Council rejecting the resource consent and the Environment Court then rejecting Thiel's appeal against the decision.

Someone who was part of the whole process was Secretary of the Upper Clutha Environmental Society Julian Haworth who speaks to Emile Donovan.

10:45 Olympic update

We cross live to Paris to speak to RNZ sports reporter Felicity Reid about all the Kiwis in action on day 6 of the 2024 Olympic Games.

11:07 Pocket Edition

In Pocket Edition this week Maggie Tweedie introduces us to fresh music for the week and interviews rap star Jujulipps.

Colin Peacock sits down with the man behind hundreds of New Zealand's Jingles Larry Killip.