Media Releases

Monthly Highlights: March

Released at 11:29 am on 24 February 2026

Coming soon

PODCAST | LIFESTYLE

Far From Town

Wednesday 11 March

Far From Town tells the stories of the lives of six rural women in New Zealand. Listeners find them travelling down gravel roads, along stunning coastlines and up remote valleys to farms and homesteads learning that what connects these women isn’t distance from the city – it’s strength, humour and honesty. Listen on rnz.co.nz/podcasts, and on podcast platforms. Played on RNZ National from Sunday 15 March, 7am. Episodes released weekly. Produced in partnership with Shepherdess Magazine.

VIDEO SERIES | COMEDY, RANGATAHI

The School Repeaters

Monday 2 March

The School Repeaters is a new comedy series for rangatahi. After a prank backfires, a group of high school students are forced to repeat their senior year and join the rugby team to restore their school’s reputation— all while keeping their failed graduation a secret from their parents. Stream on rnz.co.nz/video from Monday 2 March. Made with support from NZ On Air.

PODCAST & VIDEO | POLITICS, HISTORY

Context Season 2

Thursday 12 March

Guyon Espiner & Corin Dann are back for a new season of their popular podcast Context. They use their decades of journalistic experience to explore the history behind what’s happening today, diving into NZ’s political past and asking, "How did we get here?" As New Zealand heads into election year, they revisit New Zealand’s most dramatic political moments. Listen on rnz.co.nz/podcasts and on podcast platforms or watch on rnz.co.nz/video or RNZ YouTube from Thursday 12 March.

The Kaupoi Adventures of Piripi Kaiwaru AKA Philip S3

Thursday 19 March

In the new season, Piripi’s brother Augs is off to Texas to follow his country music dream, and Piripi wants to tag along to fulfil his own kaupoi (cowboy) fantasy. But like most things with Piripi nothing ever goes according to plan, and there lies the real adventure. Released weekly on rnz.co.nz/video and on the RNZ YouTube from Thursday 19 March. Episodes released weekly. Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho.

DOCUMENTARY | SOCIETY, ARTS & CULTURE

Weaving the People

Monday 30 March

A documentary about the Whiria te Tāngata (weave the people together) artist pilot. In 2022-2023, ten artists participated in an innovative community-focused artist-in-residence trial programme. Guaranteed income for one year, the artists were enabled to deliver community wellbeing through creative activity and develop new skills with the support of artist mentors. Stream on rnz.co.nz/video from Monday 30 March. Made with support from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage.

Radio news

RNZ NATIONAL | NZ LIVE

Hemi Hemingway performs on NZ Live

Friday 6 March, 2.20pm

Musician Shaun Blackwell AKA Hemi Hemingway performs music from his new album Wings of Desire on NZ Live on Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan. Listen live on RNZ National on Friday 6 March, 2.20pm.

RNZ NATIONAL | LIVE

Culture 101 live during the Aotearoa Festival of Arts

Culture 101 will broadcast live from RNZ's Wellington studios for the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts in March. Host, Perlina Lau will speak with Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, who's performing in Waiora Te Ūkaipō - The Homeland. Listen live on RNZ National, Sundays from 12-4pm.

RNZ CONCERT | LIVE BROADCAST

From the New World: NZSO with María Dueñas & Rodolfo Barráez

Thursday 26 March, 6.30pm

From the New World: NZSO with María Dueñas & Rodolfo Barráez Two young international sensations light up the NZSO’s From the New World. At just 23, Spanish virtuoso María Dueñas is one of the most sought-after violinists in the world. Also making his New Zealand debut, Venezuelan conductor Rodolfo Barráez leads a programme that pairs Beethoven with one of the most loved symphonies ever written—Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. Listen live on RNZ Concert.

RNZ.CO.NZ | LIFE SECTION

RNZ’s Tauoranga Life turns one

RNZ’s Tauoranga Life section celebrates its first birthday in March. Life marked a shift in how RNZ presents lifestyle, arts, culture and entertainment content – delivering engaging interviews, long-form features, reviews and arts & cultural news grounded in experiences of New Zealanders. Explore more at rnz.co.nz/life.

Out now

VIDEO SERIES | SPORTS, COMEDY

Out of my League

Out of my League is a new video series featuring popular digital creator How to DAD. Where some people wonder ‘Wow, imagine trying to sprint 400 metres!’ How to DAD is lacing up his shoes ready to give it a crack at taking on wāhine toa athletes in their sporting disciplines. I mean, how good would the Olympics have been with an ‘Average Joe’ lane, so you could really grasp how extraordinary our athletes truly are? How to DAD is your Joe. Stream now at rnz.co.nz/video or on the RNZ YouTube channel.

PODCAST | MĀORI, ARTS & CULTURE

Pūtātara: Revolutions of Māori Art

Matariki Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Hauiti, Taranaki, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) and Jamie Tahana (Te Arawa: Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Makino, Tapuika) transport listeners to the moments and movements around which Māori art has evolved and revolved, opening with the first Ngā Puna Waihanga hui in Te Kaha in 1973 and taking us right up to today. Listen now at rnz.co.nz/podcasts or on podcast apps.

This is one of three arts and culture podcasts commissioned through a Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air and RNZ co-fund, in response to the New Mirrors research that focused on strengthening arts and culture media for Aotearoa New Zealand.

ENDS