Nights for Wednesday 11 February 2026

8:10 The challenges of being a centrist political party in New Zealand 

Every three years, New Zealanders head to the polls, and every three years we seem to ask the same question - where is the sensible centrist political parties?

Voters grumble about special interests and the politicking of our established parties, so why has no one been able to turn that frustration into a successful centrist movement?

Someone who has been thinking deeply about this is University of Canterbury associate sociology professor Dr Mike Grimshaw, who joins Emile Donovan.

8:30 The House

Tonight on our Parliament show - The House – Louis Collins looks at the second reading of the Public Service Bill, something that might sound tedious, but included debate touching on hot culture war topics. 

8:30 Midweek Mediawatch

Colin Peacock joins Emile Donovan to debrief the week in media news.

Tonight, the sudden cuts at the Washington Post, the Melania movie and a burst of ‘enshittifaction’ at RNZ.

9:06 Nights Riddle

Tune in throughout the night for a series of riddle clues.

Be the first to text in the right answer and win a Nights mug.

Text 2101 or email nights@rnz.co.nz

Clues:

I am a thing, a physical thing, but more importantly - I am the Standard, the standard of which everything else falls short. I am a triumph of division and uniformity - and my father loved watches

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Before me there was chaos; after, there was order, because while the customer is always right - they are NOT always co-ordinated. I am a lot younger than you might realise - there are living humans older than me, though not many. 

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I often have something in common with Lucky Strike cigarettes - or, at least, their slogan. I begin life as one, but I become 17, more or less. Sadly, two of those 17 are often shunned, thanks to the Maillard reaction - though desperate times call for desperate measures. 

===

I am widely regarded as the best thing ever - simply because everything else is the best thing since me 

Answer: Sliced bread

9:10 European correspondent Christian Smith

Christian Smith dials in from Amsterdam with news from the other side of the world.

Tonight, the latest on the Epstein- Mandelson scandal and Ireland introduces the world's first basic income for artists.

9:20 Lolita: A Complicated Legacy

The 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, is in our news cycle here in New Zealand.

It's a book that follows a professor's obsession with, and abduction of, a twelve-year-old girl.

And why is it in the news? Because of the Epstein files.

The latest dump of documents connected to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein turned out a surprising New Zealand name.

Auckland academic Brian Boyd, a world-leading Nabokov scholar, met with Epstein in 2012 to discuss financing his next book, unaware of Epstein’s behaviour.

Brian Boyd joined Emile Donovan to talk about being in the files and the taint that comes with being associated with a figure like Epstein, for him, and for the book Lolita. 

9:45 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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10:17 The Detail

Tonight, Auckland could become a victim of Sail GP's success, with harbour cities around the world bidding for hosting chances 

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10:45 The Reading: Goneville

Nick Bollinger was just 18 when he went on the road with the band Rough Justice and its smoky-voiced, charismatic leader Rick Bryant. 

Tonight, we have episode one of the rock'n'roll coming of age story Goneville.

11:07 Enzology: The story of Split Enz

In Episode 8 of Enzology, RNZ Music's story of Split Enz, Tim Finn has a nervous breakdown… and he's not alone.

Split Enz make perhaps their best album and a Leaky boat is scuppered in the UK.