Nights for Thursday 14 March 2024

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 Jukebox

Emile Donovan plays your requests - as long as you've got a compelling reason, or a good story with it.

Send in your picks to nights@rnz.co.nz or text 2101.

8:45 The Reading 

Tonight, the final installment of 'Fake Baby', written by Amy McDaid and read by Alisha Jacob and Nigel Collins.

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 I Was There When: Shrek the sheep was discovered

Every Thursday night we turn back the clock and speak to someone who was there when history was made in New Zealand.

Tonight, we're going back almost twenty years to April 2004 to talk to Central Otago farmer John Perriam about the global phenomenon known as Shrek the Sheep.

9:35 Nights Culture

Every month we're going to be learning a bit more about what heritage means in New Zealand.

The vision of Heritage New Zealand is 'honouring the past, inspiring our future' but you wouldn't necessarily guess that from the press.

Chief executive of Heritage NZ Andrew Coleman joins Emile Donovan.

9:50 Rare sea slug 'Smeagol' discovered in Otago

Ecologists have discovered a population of the rare sea slug, Smeagol in Otago - just the fourth population of the gravel-dwelling creature in New Zealand.

Like its Lord of the Rings namesake, it is pallid, elusive, and subterranean.

Emile Donovan speaks to science manager at the Otago Regional Council, Tom Dyer.

10:17 The pros and cons of Wellington's controversial district plan  

Wellington's district plan has been making headlines over the past month.

Today councillors voted to reject many of the recommendations made by an independent panel instead voting to increase housing density, reduce heritage protection and increase the amount of housing near rail lines. 

The Spinoff's Joel McManus joins Emile Donovan to make sense of it all.

10:30 What do Phoenix fans think of the new Auckland football team?

For sixteen years Wellington Phoenix has had the monopoly when it comes to kiwi football fans supporting a professional New Zealand team. 

However, Auckland's new professional football team, Auckland FC, was launched today.

Emile Donovan speaks to a diehard Wellington Phoenix fan.

10:45 New book highlights everyday 'small moments'

How often do you stop to notice the small moments in every ordinary day?

Dunedin-raised Willow Older and co-author Deborah Huber have published a book called 'Today I Noticed' - a simple prompt to pause, observe and record the tiny moments of joy in everyday life that we tend to forget or overlook.

Willow Older joins Emile Donovan from San Francisco.

11:07 The Mixtape

Our guest picking the music this week with Music 101's Charlotte Ryan is award-winning journalist, writer and poet Mohamed Hassan.

He previously worked at RNZ as a journalist, is the host of The Big Picture Podcast, and wrote a book How to be a Bad Muslim and an award-winning collection of poetry called National Anthem.