Sunday Morning for Sunday 9 March 2014
8:12 Insight Antarctic Expeditions – Science, Money and Safety
When the privately-funded Australasian Antarctic Expedition aboard the polar vessel, Akademik Shokalskiy, became trapped in ice last Christmas, it triggered a $2 million international rescue operation. Attempts to help the stranded vessel meant ships were diverted and the Antarctic research programmes of four nations were delayed. As Antarctic Treaty nations prepare for their annual meeting and the International Maritime Organisation is finalising a new Polar Code to ensure safe shipping operations in Antarctic waters, Veronika Meduna investigates what long-term impacts the incident will have on both Antarctic science and tourism.
Produced by Philippa Tolley.
8:40 Andrew Ott – Power Bills
Andrew Ott is Senior Vice President, Markets, at the US-based PJM Interconnection, the world's largest competitive wholesale electricity market – serving 61 million customers. He tells us why deregulation should mean lower power bills, why it’s not working too well in New Zealand, and what needs to happen so consumers benefit from competition.
Andrew Ott is in New Zealand to attend the energy industry’s Downstream Conference.
9:06 Mediawatch
Mediawatch looks at a groundbreaking broadcast from Sochi which could change the game for live sport in New Zealand, and how a bold plan for a new media service seems to have stalled. Mediawatch also looks at the revealing backlash to a strange story about small-scale political spending.
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.
9:40 Pete Seel – Digital Immortality
Associate Professor Pete Seel from the University of Colorado is in New Zealand and researching for a book on digital immortality – how the photos, blogs and other information we post online will outlive us, and what that means for historians and our descendants.
Dr Seel will be presenting a public lecture on digital immortality on March 11.
10:06 China’s Global Popstars
After decades of being closed off to western pop culture, the pressure is on for China to find a state-endorsed popstar, a fun and cool ambassador who can command the global stage. Rebecca Kanthor heads inside China’s pop machine, the ‘Earth’s Music Project’, to meet Ruhan Jia – one of the first artists to be actively promoted by the government, and those tasked with transforming her into a global sensation. In makeshift studios across China, she hears from Ruhan’s rock rivals, who are also hoping to get noticed – with or without support from the state. Raising questions of identity, ambition and freedom, Rebecca investigates the dizzying world of state-sponsored pop, and the power of pop culture. This programme is from the BBC Freedom 2014 series.
10:35 Europe’s Troublemakers
Another feature of the BBC’s Freedom 2014 season is a look at some of Europe’s Troublemakers – profiles of controversial Europeans who are stirrers to some and heroes to others. Today we focus on Roberto Bui from Italy. He’s a member of Wu Ming. It’s a writers’ collective which has been challenging the Italian political establishment through high-profile pranks and planting fake stories in the media. BBC journalist Lucy Ash went to Turin to meet Roberto, otherwise known as Wu Ming Wong.
11:05 Down the List
Satire. Labour has hidden trust issues.
Down the List is written by Dave Armstrong and produced by Adam Macaulay and Duncan Smith from the RNZ Drama Department.
11:12 David Belton – Saviour in Rwanda
David Belton was a BBC Newsnight producer and one of the first journalists into Rwanda at the time of the genocide 20 years ago. He talks to Finlay about his experience – and about the missionary priest Vjeko Curic who saved thousands of lives.
When the Hills Ask for Your Blood, by David Belton, is published by Random House.
11:40 Wayne Brittenden’s Counterpoint
Coverage of the crisis in Ukraine has generally lacked historic context, yet some little-known facts are essential for a proper understanding. Wayne fills some of those gaps and Finlay follows up with New York-based geopolitical analyst Eric Draitser.