Afternoons for Monday 1 September 2025

 

1:15 A lifeline for regional airlines - but what will it mean for you?

The Government will provide up to $30 million in loans for struggling regional airlines as it intervenes with a "one-off" move to prevent more air routes from being cut.

Carriers including Air Chathams and Sounds Air had been calling for a loan scheme for months amid a period of skyrocketing operating costs.

Air Chathams Chief Executive Officer Duane Emeny explains what this will mean for regional airlines, and their passengers. 

1.25 The Wellington performer attempting to ease the loneliness epidemic

Here in New Zealand one in 10 of us lives alone. 

Performer and theatre academic Dr James Wenley is one of them, and he explores the concept of loneliness in an incredibly intimate way in his new one-man show 'a show for when you feel lonely'. 

It's debuting as part of the biennial TAHI solo-performance festival. You can find all ticket info here.

1.35 Spring has sprung! Time to get on trend with meadow gardens. 

It's the 1st of September which means Spring has officially sprung! Although we're not sure the weather has caught up with the news.

Traditionally spring is all about getting back into the garden and this year the focus seems to be on modern meadow gardens.

 Mitre 10 Garden Operations Specialist Craig Clancy joins Jesse with tips and tricks. 

1:45 One Long Song - Bob Dylan's Hurricane

One Long Song is our chance to play a song in its entirety, no radio edits here, we've had a blast with tunes from Led Zepplin, Don McLean and Stevie Wonder to name a few.

Today's artist has written almost every song in his career by himself, but for this one he had a co-writer.

It's possible he got some help because he really wanted this song to make a difference, but also because he knew it would be a long song and called in help from a Broadway musical writer to give the song flow and structure.

You see the artist had come across the story of a boxer, who had possibly been wrongly imprisoned, and decided to help the best way he knew how - by telling the boxer's story in a song.

Coming in at 8.38 seconds, this is Bob Dylan with a song co-written by Jacques Levy - it's "Hurricane"

2:10 What's worth watching? Love it or List it NZ, Thursday Murder Club

Fans of the Thursday Murder Club books are in for a treat, the movie of the first story has just been released on Netflix.

It features a star studded cast Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie and Ben Kinglsey but does it live up to the books?

Our TV critic Linda Burgess reviews that and Love it or List it NZ on TVNZ and TVNZ+.

2:20 Jesse's Cold Call - Citizen Advice Bureau Dargaville

We love a cold call here on Afternoons, it keeps us, and you, well and truly on our toes. For those keeping track, we've been through all the iSites of New Zealand, a sample of iwi radio stations and today we're going to call a Citizen's Advice Bureau.

There are still so many citizen advice bureaus throughout the country - staffed by good people who are keen to help others hopefully they're also keen to help me and chat - let's try Dargaville.

2.30 Expert Feature: What makes a good political interview?

Each week on a Monday we take a deep dive into an issue with the help of an expert. 

Today we're talking to Guyon Espiner about political interviews - what is considered a "good" one and how to get the most out of our politicians. 

Please send in any questions you have for Guyon - 2101. 

3.10 After 90 years in business, Marbecks' record store is changing how it does business

After more than nine decades in Auckland's Queens Arcade, Marbecks, one of Aotearoa’s most well-known retailers will be closing the doors of its physical store. But it's not saying goodbye.

Robert Marbeck chats to Jesse about how the store is evolving. 

3:15 Feature interview: A mother's story: The risks of substituting machines for human care.

A warning, this conversation contains themes of suicide.

More and more, people are turning to artificial intelligence for companionship and even therapy. 29-year-old Sophie Rottenberg did. She turned to a therapy chatbot nicknamed Harry when she started to experience a bewildering mix of anxiety and depression. She was also seeing a therapist in person. She told the AI Chatbot about her plans to end her life. And then she did. Her Mum, Laura Reiley is a writer at Cornell University and shared Sophie's story in an essay for The New York Times. In the aftermath of her only child's death, Reiley is not only grieving Sophie, but also reckoning with difficult questions about the risks of substituting machines for human care. 

Mental health

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
• What's Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
• Healthline: 0800 611 116.
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.
• Aoake te Rā – bereaved by suicide service. https://www.aoaketera.org.nz/ 0800 000 053

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

3:35 Here Now: Breaking Bread with pide "Nothing like woodfire"

Time to break some bread now and this week, Here Now's Kadambari Raghukumar goes to a bakery in West Auckland where Mustafa Suphy and Anil Ozbal sing praises of their Turkish traditions of baking.

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel. 

Critter of the Week merch is back! That's right, you can proudly show off your favourite endangered critter.
Orders close on October 6th, with delivery in mid-November. THE LINK TO ORDER A BAG, A TEE OR A HOODIE IS HERE
Remember to measure your size because this is all about pre-ordering to fit.
$5 from every product goes straight to local conservation heroes – together Critter of the Week purchases have already raised an incredible $36,881!

Thanks so much to our friends at Joyya for helping make this happen.

Joyya is a fair-trade certified factory looking to spark good in places of extreme poverty and modern slavery.