Nine To Noon for Friday 21 March 2025

09:05 Making it easier to switch phone and internet company

The Telecommunications Users Association says mobile phone consumers need concrete action over the difficulties of switching between mobile or broadband suppliers. A new Commerce Commission study has found nearly one in every three people think moving to another mobile or broadband provider is too difficult to even try. The study found 50 per cent of mobile and 45 per cent of broadband switchers ran into at least one issue when switching. The Commerce Commission says telcos need to make it easier for people to switch companies and it has suggested a range of improvements including copying the UK's  'One Touch' switching model or removing notice periods when someone does move provider. Craig Young is the chief executive of the Telecommunications Users Association - he says it's time for action. 

09:20 The gene editing technology being used to treat patients with a rare swelling disorder    

The majority of rare health disorders are genetic in origin. But now a treatment using gene editing could be providing a solution for a rare swelling disorder. Auckland Immunologist, Dr. Hilary Longhurst, led a trial that saw the first patients with hereditary angioedema receive permanent gene editing. The disorder causes unpredictable swelling attacks and those on the trial have experienced dramatic results. The work opens up the possibility for more individuals with rare disorders to receive help in the same way. Kathryn speaks to Dr Longhurst and Bev Tanner who has received treatment for the disease.

09:30 Dunedin band IVY prepares to go orchestral    

Dunedin band IVY met as students at Bayfield High School during Covid and played their first gig in 2021. Now, with a few years under their collective belts, the stage is set for another huge step in their short careers. The band has joined forces with the Dunedin Youth Orchestra. The project culminates next Friday at a sold-out concert as part of the Dunedin Arts Festival. Their music has been arranged by Maddy Parkins-Craig and Anthony Ritchie.  The collaboration has secured $8,000 in funding from various sources including Dunedin City Council Arts Fund, the Creative Community Scheme, and the Dunedin Casino Charitable Trust. IVY is made up of Jesse Hanan, James Axton, Connor Cooper, Louis Stevenson and Ocean Temple-Wilson. Kathryn speaks with IVY lead guitarist James Axton,  and Bea Ward - chair of Dunedin Youth Orchestra.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Ed discusses the extradition of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to the Hague, why the Indonesian middle class is shrinking , and a new survey puts the South Korea education sector under the microscope.

10:05 The war over waste with Alexander Clapp

In Turkey a citrus farmer finds a pile of trash illegally dumped and burned. In Ghana, a group of dumpster divers dig through digital remains to find data to use for online scams. And in Indonesia - where New Zealand sends some of its plastic recycling - there are mountains of stuff now being used as fuel in bakeries. That is the picture painted in journalist Alexander Clapp's book Waste Wars where he travels the world following and documenting what is happening in the multi-billion dollar trash trade. Alexander argues that for every story of a commodity going through supply chains - there goes with it the untold tale of what happens to that consumer product. He says it is a case of rich countries exporting their unwanted and expensive-to-deal-with waste off to poorer countries. Alexander Clapp is a journalist based in Athens and talks to Kathryn about how his pursuit to understand the waste trade led him on a globetrotting journey.

10:30 Broadband switching nightmare : charged for 2 years for no service

A Wellington woman was charged for broadband she wasn't receiving for two and a half years after switching providers. Bron Eichbaum switched from Vodafone to Contact for broadband in August 2022. Contact didn't notify Vodafone of the switch. She recently discovered she was being billed $60 dollars a month for the service she was not using. Contact Energy has since acknowledged the error and refunded the more than $2000 she's paid.

10:35 Book review: Little Bones by Sandy Bigna 

Roger Christensen of Little Unity Books Auckland reviews Little Bones by Sandy Bigna published by University of Queensland Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Ché Baker in Southland

A petition has been launched for ACC to cover volunteer firefighters, Bluff oysters are back on the menu, and a $1 billion proposed windfarm has been declined.

Ché Baker is the editor of the Southland Times.

11:05 New music with Grant Smithies 

Long before he formed The Jam and Style Council, Paul Weller was a soul-obsessed teenage record collector. He's just compiled a double album of personal soul favourites, and we'll hear two tracks from that today, followed by some lush and lovely dreampop from Wellington trio Womb,  and some Nigerian electro-funk from Igbo chief and synth-pop pioneer, William Onyeabor.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Sam looks at the big sport stories of the week. Today, a place in the Football World Cup is on the line for the All Whites, a number of other big sporting clashes for New Zealand athletes both locally and abroad, and what’s needed to ‘protect’ rising star runner Sam Ruthe.

11:45 The week that was with Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks

Comedians Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks chat about some of quirky stories of the week, including how the "horsey" haircut could be for the chop at a Nelson school, how pythons were used by gas station thieves in the US, the Bulgarian football club forced to apologise after holding a minute's silence for a former player who is still alive, and could Doors front man Jim Morrison be alive and well in New York?