Nights for Thursday 23 October 2025

8:10 Weather update

We speak to RNZ journalist Lauren Crimp about the latest on the wild weather which hit much of the country today.

8:20 The case for home economics in school

In the proposed high school curriculum, home economics would cease to be a stand-alone subject and instead be taught within health.

Home economics, now the teaching of food and nutrition, has been taught in New Zealand since 1911. 

Tina Williams is a head of department home economics teacher at Christchurch's Papanui High School.

She speaks with Emile Donovan.

8.30 The House

This week on The House, Phil Smith notes two omens from Parliament on Wednesday that herald the coming election.  Including - just possibly - a hint towards an actual date.

8:35 Philosophy Now

Once a month, we get philosophical here on Nights.

Dan Weijers, a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato tackles some of life’s biggest questions —whether it’s about love, death, or happiness.

Tonight, Dan takes on perhaps the ultimate question in Western philosophy: if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-beneficent, how can there be so much suffering in the world?

8:45 What's the secret to Taylor Swift's success?

You may have heard Taylor Swift has a new album out called The Life of a Showgirl.

You may also know it’s out in dozens of different editions — CDs, vinyl, downloads, even a cassette. But the music itself? It's all the same.

So what is it about Swift and her music that she can get her fans buying multiple copies?

Music journalist and critic Chris Schultz speaks with Emile Donovan about the phenomenon of multiple album editions and what it reveals about the music industry - clever marketing, cynical exploitation, or just the way things work for musicians today?

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 UK's former schools minister Sir Nick Gibb

Sir Nick Gibb oversaw a dramatic turnaround in England's school reading and maths performance during his tenure as schools minister through the rollback of 'progressivist' practice and a renewed focus on structure, knowledge and expectations.

He's visiting New Zealand as part of the government's Curriculum Roadshow and joins Emile Donovan.

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 on The Detail - Fonterra is concentrating on its core business, and that means executing one of the biggest business transactions this country has ever seen - to the benefit of its farming shareholders 

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10:45 The Reading: The Dwarf Who Moved 

Prominent criminal defence lawyer Peter Williams recalls the people and cases, celebrated and obscure, that have defined his remarkable career.

Cases involving the intriguing characters; 'Frank-the-Tank', 'Too-Fat', and 'Jasper-the-Gypsy' feature in today's reading from  'The Dwarf Who Moved'.

11:07 The Mixtape

Kara Rickard is joined by Rob Davis, Campaign Director for Sucker Punch games, picking some favourite songs on The Mixtape

Rob Davis is the creative force behind some of the most acclaimed action-adventure video games of recent years.

Originally from Sydney, Rob has spent over a decade in the games industry working on large-scale, big-budget productions, with a focus on narrative design, open-world structure, and combat systems.