Nights for Tuesday 23 September 2025

8:10 Who will the new Reserve Bank governor be? 

The new Reserve Bank governor will be announced by Finance Minister Nicola Willis tomorrow and will replace the outgoing Christian Hawkesby - who has been acting interim governor since Adrian Orr resigned in March.

Dan Brunksill is a political and economics reporter based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. He joins Emile to speculate on who the new head honcho might be - and shed light on what the role actually entails.

8:20 Is it hygienic to sit on public toilet seats? 

If you need frequent trips to the bathroom, you've probably know where the usable public toilets in your area are. But what if the seat looks dirty like its not being cleaned for weeks? Do you brave it? What if it looks clean? Do you worry that sitting on the seat could make you sick?

Dr Lotti Tajouri is one of Australia's leading researchers in the field of molecular genetics and joins Emile to discuss the risks. 

8.35 Why do pets seem to prefer human food over their own and how bad is that for them?

Carolyn Gates is Professor in Veterinary Epidemiology and Education at Massey University Wellington and she joins Emile on the phone to hopefully get to the bottom of this question. 

8:50 Shower Thoughts: Treadmill or Outside? 

Each Tuesday, we tackle the big questions you might find yourself pondering mid-shampoo or maybe even mid-run.

Tonight, it's a classic debate for those how like to get out for a run or check their Strava on a daily basis: what's better for performance - hitting the pavement outside or getting those kilometres in on the trusty treadmill at the gym? 

Joining Emile to discuss is Dr Dan Plews who is an Applied sports scientist at AUT, Ironman athlete and coach at Endure IQ.

9:05 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 A chat with New Zealand's chief censor Caroline Flora 

What does a chief sensor do? Sit there in a comfortable room with a popcorn machine watching new-release movies and reading new release books all day? We were dying to know, so we invited Caroline Flora, New Zealand's Chief Sensor, to the Wellington studio so we could find out about her day job and all about banned books both here and overseas.  

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.

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10:17 The Detail

Today's episode of The Detail looks at when AI in the workplace goes wrong.

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10:45 The Reading

Part two of our series of tales about a young vet's life on the West Coast, written by David Marshall.

11:07 Worlds of Music

Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of trans global music, fusion and folk roots.