Nine To Noon for Wednesday 4 March 2026

09:05 The families accusing tech giants of social media harm

A woman who is suing  Meta and Google over the addictive nature of social media has told a court room in Los Angeles that her childhood was taken over by Instagram and Youtube. The trial is expect to last until the middle of this month and the outcome will be the first legal ruling on what responsibility social media operators carry for their youngest users.TikTok and Snapchat were initially sued as well, but the companies settled shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin. But this is not the only legal action being taken over the algorithims behind social media platforms and the impact they have on their users. The confronting documentary, Can’t Look Away, by Bloomberg News  follows a team of lawyers fighting for families whose children suffered devastating harm they say was linked to social media. Directed by Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz, the film is based on investigative reporting by Olivia Carville, a former reporter with the Press newspaper in Christchurch, who is based with Bloomberg in New York, but is currently back in New Zealand.

09:25  How to make sure your beach is OK to swim at

After a couple of days of rough weather and some heavy rain, beaches all around Wellington's south coast and in the inner harbour have been given "unsuitable for swimming"  status. But over the last month, water quality has been seriously affected by a fault at the treatment plant at Moa Point that resulted in untreated sewage  being pumped into Cook Strait. A suspected break in the main outfall pipe from the Seaview in Lower Hutt just yesterday has resulted in what is probably treated wastewater going into the storm water system. But the problem isn't the capital's alone. Many of Auckland's beaches are often unswimmable after rain and in Christchurch, mayor Phil Mauger, has asked staff to work on a possible plan to divert wastewater into the ocean outfall pipe as the council struggles to control a stench from fire-damaged treatment ponds at Bromley. So how does the public know what's safe and what's not? Kathryn talks to Edward Abraham, the managing director of Dragon Fly Data Science, who is both an experienced oceanographer and a resident of Island Bay in Wellington.

09:35 How do airlines judge when and where it's safe to fly near a conflict zone?

The conflict in the Middle East is continuing to disrupt global air traffic  - with nearly 4000 flights a day being cancelled across the region. Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been affected,  as the major airport hubs remain largely out of action. Some limited flights have managed to leave, but the situation remains volatile. To talk  about what kind of contingency planning will be underway by airlines and aviation authorities - as well as the operational and fiscal pressures that come into play in emergency situations like these, Kathryn is joined by aviation expert John Strickland, of JLS Consulting in the UK.

09:45 Australia: Iran reaction, Carney incoming, Dutton slammed

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at Australia's decision to back the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and urging of Australians stuck in the Mideast not to cancel their flights home, saying it'll be faster to get home once airspace opens. Canada's PM Mark Carney is in Australia for his first official visit since taking office, which will include a critical minerals deal. Anthony Albanese leaked a copy of a controversial review of the Liberals' performance at last year's election - and promptly tabled it in Parliament for all to see. But he was less triumphant at a  NewsCorp event where he labelled an outspoken advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse, Grace Tame, "difficult".

Karen Middleton is a Canberra based political correspondent

10:05 Australian journalist Louise Milligan doesn't shy away from tough topics in her new novel

Recovering from a violent crime, a stolen baby and a near drowning: Australian journalist Louise Milligan's new novel leaves very few tough topics untouched as it recounts trauma and family secrets.  Her second work of fiction follows the main character as she heads back to Ireland to help her aunt who is dealing with her own past. Louise is an investigative journalist for the ABC's Four Corners programme who among many issues, has extensively covered the stories of survivors of abuse in care and religious institutions.

10:30 With cremations growing in popularity, what's appropriate when scattering ashes?  

When it comes to scattering ashes, funeral director Andrew Malcolm as seen almost everything. He's even leaned out of a helicopter in a hunter's harness and sprinkled someone’s remains over a forest. He's also hired boats to head far out to sea to scatter ashes there. While cremation rates are rising in New Zealand, it isn’t always clear what is legal and culturally appropriate. Especially amongst Māori, who have traditionally favoured burials, but are increasingly opting for cremations. So what's acceptable? How are things trending? Andrew Malcolm has been Managing Director at Kapiti Coast Funeral Home for 42 years. He speaks to Kathryn. 

10:35 Book review: Seed by Elisabeth Easther

Cynthia Morahan reviews Seed by Elisabeth Easther, published by Penguin Random house.

10:45 Around the motu: Samantha Gee, RNZ's Nelson based reporter

Samantha discusses a study of Tasman river catchments aimed at protecting communities in extreme weather, the worries over the crew on the former interislander, Aratere, which has been in NZ waters for 5 months and the row that's blown up over the closure of the country's largest sinkhole in the Abel Tasman National Park.

11:05 Dunedin Music Today: It’s still all about creative bravery & innovation

Dunedin spawned a globally celebrated indie music phenomenon during the 1980s that proudly cemented the city’s name in popular music history. Today, however, the sounds emanating from 45°52’ S, 170°3’ E seemingly bear little resemblance to that time. In the absence of any clear sonic footprint, strong links of creative bravery and innovation nevertheless remain these four-plus decades later. Displaying this, Ian Chapman debuts new tracks from four very different Otepoti acts. Ivy, Marcel Rodeka, Sylvie Harper and Grace Gemmell demonstrate that Dunedin’s music spirit is alive and well.

11:20 Why a tiny nuclear test monitoring site in the Outback just got more important

Deep in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory is a small research station, surrounded by an array of seismometers and infrasound sensors. The Warramunga site is one of 300 facilities around the world operated under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, designed to detect a nuclear explosion anywhere around the world. Australia has 21 in total. The work done at these sites may have increased in importance, with the end last month of New START - the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the United States. US President Donald Trump said last October he'd allow the US to resume nuclear testing because other countries were doing it. So what goes on at these sites - how can a nuclear test in North Korea be detected in the Australian outback? Hrvoje Tkalčić  is a professor, head of geophysics and director of the Warramunga Array at the Australian National University.

11:45 A business mentor on how to stick it out when economic times get rough

It's not the easiest time for some Kiwi businesses right now. The latest data from Centrix shows nearly three thousand company liquidations in the year to January, up 16 percent on last year. 70 percent of those liquidations stem from Inland Revenue action on tax debt. So what should you do if you're struggling? And what support is available? Kathryn is joined by Frank Witowski. Based in Nelson, he's had five start up companies over the last 22 years - including Hybrid Bikes. He's now a mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand  - and shares some of his insights.