Nights for Tuesday 14 October 2025
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New device set to reduce plastics pollution at beaches
9:25 PM.Each year, an estimated 4 million tonnes of plastic waste from urban and industrial centres ends up in marine environments. Rivers and waterways act like giant conveyor belts, carrying the waste to… Read more Audio
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Shower Thoughts: What is life like without vision?
8:45 PM.Dan Shepherd is part of Blind Low Vision New Zealand, where he works as the General Manager of Community and Inclusion. He joins Mark Leishman. Read more Audio
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News from Europe
8:30 PM.Our European correspondent Christian Smith joins Mark Leishman from London. Read more Audio
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Community book fair left with hefty bill
8:20 PM.John Driscoll is from the Rotary Club of Ashburton, he's one of the people behind the Bookarama, and he joins Mark Leishman. Read more Audio
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Are our political leaders unlikable?
8:10 PM.Dr Grant Duncan is a research associate with the Public Policy Institute at the University of Auckland, and he joins Mark Leishman. Read more Audio
8:10 Are our political leaders unlikable?
Should we like our political leaders? Does it matter if they're not likable?
The latest One News Verrian poll rates both National's leader Christopher Luxon and Labour's Chris Hipkins poorly on the leadership front -- with Luxon's approval at negative fourteen, and Hipkins just barely scraping a one.
Neither seem to be connecting with voters on these numbers, especially when compared to popular predecessors like John Key or Jacinda Ardern.
But their parties are polling pretty similarly, hovering around the early thirties. So does the face of the party matter? Or is it all about policy?
Dr Grant Duncan is a research associate with the Public Policy Institute at the University of Auckland, and he joins Mark Leishman.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, National Party leader Christopher Luxon and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ
8:20 Community book fair left with hefty bill
Community book sales can be a big financial boon for local groups and charities.
But the cost of dealing with what doesn't sell is enormous.
Ashburton's annual Bookarama sale had sixteen tonnes of waste left over from this year's event, with a cost of seven thousand dollars to take to a tip.
John Driscoll is from the Rotary Club of Ashburton, he's one of the people behind the Bookarama, and he joins Mark Leishman.
Ashburton's Bookarama is an annuial event. Photo: Rotary Club of Ashburton
8:30: The House
This week on The House, Phil Smith brings us action from Parliament today, which today was like something from a radio serial.
8:35 News from Europe
Our European correspondent Christian Smith joins Mark Leishman from London.
Tonight, the collapse of the China spy case, will frozen Russian assets be used to fund Ukraine's war effort? and France may be ungovernable, why the post office thinks it can solve that.
Employees repair a power supply line over an Intercity+ high-speed train heavily damaged in a depot during a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv, on 28 August, 2025. Photo: GENYA SAVILOV / AFP
8:45 Shower Thoughts; What is life like without vision?
Each week we feature Shower Thoughts, where we find experts to answer curious questions about the world and how it works.
And tonight, something we often take for granted -- our vision. What is it like living your life, day to day, without it?
Nearly two-hundred thousand New Zealanders live with blindness, or low vision, and demand for vision services is only going up year-on-year.
Dan Shepherd is part of Blind Low Vision New Zealand, where he works as the General Manager of Community and Inclusion. He joins Mark Leishman.
Dan Shepherd is the general manager of Community and Inclusion for Blind Low Vision NZ - he waited four years to be matched with his guide dog Ezra. Photo:
9:05 Nights Quiz
Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Mark Leishman 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 New device set to reduce plastics pollution in oceans and beaches
Each year, an estimated 4 million tonnes of plastic waste from urban and industrial centres ends up in marine environments.
Rivers and waterways act like giant conveyor belts, carrying the waste to estuaries, beaches and oceans.
And while we know a lot about how plastics travel once they're in the ocean, we know less about their journey there.
Now a new tracking device is set to help change that and hopefully reduce the amount of water pollution.
The device was designed and developed by Dr Peter Cleveland, who did his PhD at AUT and now lives in Vietnam and Singapore. He joins Mark Leishman,
Photo: SERGIO HANQUET
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.
10:17 The Detail
Tonight, on The Detail - big and profitable Kiwi companies hiking their prices during a cost-of-living crisis have been accused of losing their social licence - but what is that?
Photo: RNZ
10:45 The Reading: 'Dove on the Waters'
In Auckland in the early 1900's, an unassuming lawyer has made the local headlines with his plan to circumnavigate the globe, solo. The fact that he has no credibility as a yachtsman is only one of the problems with the idea.
John O'Leary reads episode two of 'Dove on the Waters' written by Maurice Shadbolt.
11:07 Worlds of Music
Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of trans global music, fusion and folk roots.
