0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: ARTS FESTIVAL - opening day of International Festival of the Arts in WN starts with dawn ceremony. Tama Muru reports live.
0621 RURAL NEWS
0626 NEWS STORY: GERMANY - SOCIAL DEMOCRATS - Gerhard Schroeder set to lead challenge to Chancellor Kohl's govt later in year. Live i/v with correspondent Geoff Rodoreda.
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: CANCER - Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group meeting in Methven, approve new treatments for some cancers, review latest research. (Eric Frykberg)
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: BUSINESS CONFIDENCE - latest National Bank survey signals sinking in confidence, with fall moving across economy. Live i/v with Bank's chief economist Brendan O'Donovan. HOUSE PRICES - ASB Bank survey shows housing affordability and confidence both down. ASB economist Rozanna Wozniak says confidence affected by string of bad property news but believes home-owners have over-reacted. (Rodney Joyce) TELECOM - Ameritech confirms it will be selling its Telecom stake by instalment in global offering. (Rodney Joyce) FINANCE/MARKETS ANZ BANK profit up more than third on previous year but FinSec leaders say hundreds of jobs in local operations could go as group looks at cutting staff numbers. (Gyles Beckford) NATIONAL MUTUAL posts after tax profit for year ended September of nearly $350 million, up 42% on previous year but says sharply lower investment earnings have significantly cut profits. (Gyles Beckford) TELECOM looking at contracting out some operator services, including emergency illegible service. Manager of Operator Services, Michael Scott, comments. (Gyles Beckford) CALL CENTRES - advances in computer and telephone technology enable call centres to grow from extended reception desks to stand-alone industries. (Rodney Joyce) BURNS PHILP takes step back from bankruptcy, confirms plans to inject $Aust. 300 million of new capital into company.
0700 INTRO/NEWS FLETCHER HOMES - new claim that Fletcher Homes abused taxpayer-funded mortgage scheme. Affidavit from former salesman David Marshall says company was involved in widespread over-valuation and over-pricing of homes it built. Housing minister Murray McCully declines i/v; i/v with Labour's Housing spokesperson Graham Kelly;i/v with David Lucas, Fletcher Homes corporate affairs manager; live i/v with Economics correspondent Bronwen Evans. ELECTRICITY CRISIS - hardship fund being set up to help businesses which have lost money. More power expected next week but AKers' patience wearing thin. (Mary-Jane Aggett); from Monday, businesses affected will have uninterrupted power for either morning or afternoon. Live i/v with Richard Gibbons, Mercury Energy's general manager Networks. ARTS FESTIVAL - dawn ceremony opens WN's International Festival of the Arts. Live i/v with Festival's artistic director Joseph Selig.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE ELECTRICITY CRISIS - live i/v with reporter Todd Niall re latest situation. US - OPRAH WINFREY wins court battle against Texas cattlemen who accused herof slandering beef industry. During 1996 show, vegetarian activist warned of possible outbreak of BSE in US, but jury says Oprah Winfrey not liable for damages caused by sharp drop in cattle futures prices. Live i/v with correspondent Randy Coffey. RUSSIAN SEAMEN - likely most of 100+ seamen stranded in Lyttelton harbour will be flown home at txpayers' expense. Men have been on 5 ships since Christmas when NZ company operating vessels went into receivership. (Tania Dolders) DEFENCE - ANZUS - govt says it's in no hurry to bring NZ troops home from Gulf. Defence minister Max Bradford hopes their presence alongside US force will help thaw Anzus freeze; live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison; comment from Labour leader Helen Clark. SWITZERLAND/ISRAEL - Switzerland demanding formal apology from Israel after arresting suspected Israeli spy, says he was trying to bug private house in Berne. I/v with correspondent Owen Bennett-Jones. RUGBY - SUPER 12 COMPETITION gets underway tonight in DN when Otago Highlanders play Queensland Reds. Likely to be tough series for NZ as South Africa has made changes to teams to ensure they have best players. Live i/v with commentator Keith Quinn.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER ELECTRICITY CRISIS - for some companies affected, costs will keep coming long after power switched back on, but business community proving resilient in response to crisis. (Bronwen Evans) ELECTRICITY CRISIS - legal action. Would a class action against Mercury Energy succeed? Live i/v with lawyer Michael Okkerse. OVERSEAS PAPERS ARTS FESTIVAL organisers say everything on target in terms of ticket sales, with some shows sold out and extra performances planned for others. Live i/v with National Radio Arts specialist Paul Bushnell. PROPERTY CONFISCATION - police say they'll be confiscating more through Proceeds of Crimes Act despite serious concerns about the legislation. Appeal Court, lawyers, and marijuana law reform group say Act is unwieldy and unfair. (Corinne Ambler) TORREY MURDER CASE - Crown and defence giving closing addresses today. Live i/v with reporter Heugh Chappell. MILLENIUM - FIJI govt announces it will introduce daylight saving so it can illegible claim to be first country to see next century. (Caitlin Cherry)
0830 NEWS/SPORTS SEA LIONS - Massey Univ team still trying to discover why more than 1600 sea lions died in Auckland Islands last year. Live i/v with Dr Nick Gales, Conservation Dept, who's just returned from Islands. APPLES - FIREBLIGHT - Trade minister Lockwood Smith in Australia trying to pave way for apple exports. Australia has banned apple imports on grounds that MZ loa krds infected with fireblight. Live i/v with Dr Smith, who says NZ may take case to World Trade Orgn. BABY MONITORS - concern some parents relying tooheavily on monitors to protect children from cot death. Nelson coroner has written to experts for advice following separate inquests into deaths of 2 babies. (Helen Shea) WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY FEEDBACK PRISONS - DRUG TESTING - new national programme launched this morning at Paparua Prison by Corrections minister Nick Smith. Figures show up to 80% of prison inmates have drug or alcohol problems at time of starting sentence. Live i/v with Nick Smith. OZ SPOT - live i/v with correspondent Phil Kafcaloudes. (PM John Howard to visit Aborigine community for first time; Oasis band arrives in Australia)