Nights for Wednesday 26 February 2025

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 Swimming the length of New Zealand's longest river

When you think of endurance swimming in New Zealand, you'd usually think of the Cook Strait or Lake Taupō.

But Mission Bay man Brian Gray is broadening the sport's horizons - he spent his weekend swimming 150 kilometres of the Waikato River.

It took him 30 hours without breaks to get from Karapiro to Port Waikato.

The river's current may have provided help along the way, but he didn't finish the task without some major dramas - including getting lost and swimming the wrong way for a few hours.

What's more, Brian used the swim as an opportunity to fundraise for Starship Hospital.

8:45 The Reading: How to Walk a Dog

When our pet's life is in jeopardy, we understand how much we care for our special animals.

Here is part seven of How to Walk a Dog written and read by Mike White.

Written with wit, wisdom and heartbreaking poignancy, How to Walk a Dog is a story anyone who has ever owned or loved a dog will relate to

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.

9:25 Our Changing World's Claire Concannon 

We're travelling down to Dunedin.

To catch up with Claire Concannon, the host of RNZ's science podcast Our Changing World.

Tonight she's chatting about a recent announcement about predator-free goals for New Zealand.

9:35 Midweek Mediawatch

Mediawatch's Hayden Donnell joins Emile Donovan in the studio to chat about the latest media news.

Tonight Hayden is taking a look at Christopher Luxon's performance following the resignation of Andrew Bayly, a Wellington City Council setting the record straight and NZME's annual results

10:17 Citizen arrest powers to be expanded to deal with shoplifters

The government is bolstering citizen's arrest rules to encourage retailers to deal with shoplifters themselves.

Currently, the Crimes Act only allows people to make a citizen's arrest at night, but Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says they'll soon be able to happen any time of the day.

Self-defence powers are also being clarified, allowing people to use reasonable force.

But critics say the changes are more about optics than anything else and will put retail workers at risk.

Auckland University law professor Mark Henaghan chats with Emile Donovan.

10:30 Road freight industry group launches survey

The group representing the road freight is calling on industry members to take part in a survey.

Transporting New Zealand is looking at a world of change in road transport, including congestion charging, the need to transition to greener models than diesel, and the provision of new Interislander ferries.

Dom Kalasih is the chief executive of Transporting New Zealand and he speaks to Emile Donovan.

10:45 A fusion of jazz, science fiction and ancient Chinese wisdom

What do an ancient Chinese text, an acclaimed science fiction author, poetry and jazz all have in common?

They're all part of a New Zealand Fringe show playing in Wellington this Saturday night.

Called Waypeople, the performance is billed as an amalgam of ancient wisdom and lyrical jazz, inspired by the poetic translation of the classic Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching.

Emile Donovan speaks to Wellington jazz musician Jake Baxendale, the creative mind behind it all.

11:07 Pocket Edition with Maggie Tweedie

Your home for music discovery on RNZ tune into Pocket Edition as Maggie Tweedie drops new music from WOMB and Serebii. 

Later Tweedie speaks to explosive Melbourne pub punk rock band Amyl and The Sniffers, and we also hear from an American harp player and a South African gospel choir.