Sunday Morning for Sunday 19 April 2009
Sunday for 19 April
8:12 Insight: Credit Rating Agencies
Insight today looks at the performance of credit rating agencies. They're the organisations that assess the risk of investment products. But in the recent economic down-turn many of those assessments have proved worthless, so how did the agencies get it so wrong?
Presented by Mark Gregory
Produced by the BBC
8:40 Feature interview: The ANZAC Genesis
Historian Jeff Hopkins-Weise tells Chris Laidlaw that the ANZAC relationship wasn't formed at Gallipoli, but 50 years earlier during the New Zealand land wars.
Produced by Christine Cessford
'Blood Brothers: The ANZAC Legend', by Jeff Hopkins-Weise. Published by Penguin.
9:05 Mediawatch
Mediawatch reflects on the reporting of the crises in Fiji and Thailand this past week, where New Zealand reporters were largely absent - but for very different reasons. The programme also examines how reporters have thinned out in the newsrooms of the nation's newspapers in recent years, thanks to the need to turn a profit and the march of technology. Veteran New Zealand Herald journalist Simon Collins says this has jeopardised the kind of journalism our democratic society needs - but is that true?
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.
9:30 Feature interview: Jack Lovelock
In 1986 James McNeish's novel about the athlete Jack Lovelock was nominated for a Booker Prize. This year 'Lovelock' has been republished to mark the 60th anniversary of the athlete's death. James McNeish talks to Chris Laidlaw about the new edition which contains 'Berlin Diary' - the author's journal written in Germany while researching the novel, and a commentary on Lovelock's death.
Produced by Christine Cessford
'Lovelock' by James McNeish is published by Random House.
10:06 The Sunday Group: Fiji
All week we've heard in the news the condemnation and the understandable, often justifiable, criticism of the latest political and social upheaval in Fiji. The constitution has been abrogated, increasing powers given to the military, the media muzzled and elections now not on the agenda for another five years. The Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama has promised that life will go on as usual in Fiji and that he'll put in place a truly democratic non-racial political system. How realistic is he being? And what are the options for Fiji? Today in the Sunday group we explore its future and ask what NZ should be doing to help our troubled neighbour.
Chris Laidlaw chairs a panel that includes: Radio New Zealand Pacific Issues Correspondent Richard Pamatatau; Constitutional lawyer, advisor to the Great Council of Chiefs and herself of indigenous Fijian and European heritage, Janet Mason; Adjunct Professor from the University of the South Pacific, Crosbie Walsh; and David Neilson, a senior lecturer in the Department of Societies and Culture at Waikato University who was a member of the Commission of Inquiry into the 2006 election, commissioned by the Fiji Human Rights Commission.
Produced by Christine Cessford
10:40 Hidden Treasures
Each week Trevor Reekie takes you on a trip that seeks out musical gems from niche markets around the globe, the latest re-releases and interesting sounds from the shallow end of the bit stream. This week Trevor takes us on a musical tour de force that begins in Colombia and winds up in Ghana, with stop-overs in Auckland and California.
Produced by Trevor Reekie
10:55 Feedback.
What the listeners have to say.
11:05 Ideas: The Forum
This week on Ideas we broadcast another episode of the discussion programme, The Forum, from the BBC World Service. Guests this week are: Alain de Botton, peripatetic philosopher, with a celebration of the thing that is exhausting both the human race and the planet - work; French poet, novelist, diplomat and self-confessed cycling nut Paul Fournel; and, Brian J Ford, independent research biologist on the ingenious responses of single cells to events in their daily lives and what their activities may tell us about the origins of intelligence.
Presented by Bridget Kendall
Produced by the BBC World Service
Related links:
Alain de Botton: 'The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work' (www.randomhouse.com)
Paul Fournel (www.paulfournel.com)
Oulipo movement (www.oulipo.net)
Brian J Ford (www.brianjford.com)