Nights

Pop star Britney Spears' father has reportedly petitioned a court in Los Angeles to end the conservatorship over her estate. Jamie Spears said in August he was willing to step down from the role and has now asked the court to end the 13-year arrangement entirely. James Miller is an LA actor and a member of the Free Britney Army - Bryan Crump spoke to him earlier this evening and began by asking him why he thinks Jamie Spears has made this move.

New bands and musicians are being asked to audition for New Year's Eve at the Octagon. Dunedin City Council is hoping to put on an event with lots of new talent alongside more experienced bands on the big stage at the biggest party of the year. The Dunedin Mayor, Aaron Hawkins chats to Bryan Crump about the Deep South's plans for a big party with lots of exciting new sounds and exceptional talent.

As the Japanese prime minister, Yoshihide Suga announces he wwill not be running in his party's (the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan) election of a new leader, our Overseas Correspondent from Japan, Motoko Kakubayashi joins us from Tokyo.

Anthropologist and Child Health researcher, Dr Julie Spray joins us to talk about children's inclusion in the public health approach to the pandemic.

Our forest expert, Dean Baigent-Mercer joins us to talk about the sights, smells and sounds of springtime in the forest.

Midweek Mediawatch with Colin Peacock.

A second red flight for people eligible for MIQ emergency allocations will leave Sydney to fly to Auckland next Wednesday. MIQ spaces have been made available by deferring places intended for a group of fisher people and some RSE workers. It comes after a red flight this past Sunday, when 93 people in urgent situations were able to return to New Zealand. Christchurch man Barry Smart is 82 and very keen to get on that flight, but he doesn't fit the criteria and is worried whether he will be able to get back here.

We talk to Chris Widdup, the Executive Director of The Someday Project.about the the fresh crop of short films that make up the fifth series of Someday Stories, a creative development platform for emerging filmmakers in Aotearoa.

Sir Peter Gluckman joins us to talk about a new report into screen time and its effects on children's emotional, social and cognitive development written by him and the team at Koi Tu: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland.

Blair Gourdie is the Baker at Harbour Street Pies in Oamaru "(they're famous cos they're good)" He has just woken up and is about to don his bakers whites and fire up the ovens at midnight for the first time at full production.