0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY ENDOSCOPY SCARE - 1300 people involved in health scare at CH Hospital, were admitted for stomach or bowel investigations earlier this year and have been advised to have blood tests because of problems with dirty equipment. Comment from Health ministry's Dr Colin Feek, virologist Lance Jennings, Dr Alistair Cowan, Canterbury Health chief executive Richard Webb, gastroenterology dept head Dr Bramwell Cook, and Paul Spencer, one of patients involved. (Lauren McKenzie) NORTHERN IRELAND - PARADES - security forces on alert as marching season reaches climax. (BBC) illegible RURAL NEWS KIWIFRUIT BOARD - govt agrees to allow industry to keep single desk export marketing structure intact under reform plans announced. Board will remain as industry regulatory and monitoring body but from April next year, Zespri will operate as grower-owned company with shares freely tradable among growers. Board chair Doug Voss comments. (Kevin Ikin) MEGA MERGER - cabinet gives group of ministers delegated authority to settle final sticking points in dairy mega merger proposal. Major issue still to sort out value of each farmer's share in new company and whether shares will be tradable. (Al Morrison) APPLE PIRACY - discovery of NZ Pacific Rose apples growing illegally in Argentina, 2nd South American country they've been found in. ENZA says it's continuing investigations elsewhere as well. Growers' representative Phil Alison, Pipfruit Growers of NZ, says they've made huge investment in new apple varieties and support action being taken to root out piracy. (Kevin Ikin) RURAL PROBLEMS - Rangitikei farems tell United NZ Party leader Peter Dunne that rural communities being squeezed and country suffering as farm exports fall and balance of payments deficit continues to grow. Peter Dunne tells farmers United wants to ensure primary sector remains country's economic powerhouse. (Jill illegible)
0625 SPORTS STORY CRICKET - NZ Cricket to announce national side's new coach and new manager today. Live i/v with former cricketer and coach Glenn Turner.
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY EMPLOYMENT RACISM - Pacific Islands Affairs minister Tuariki Delamere calls for govt to be forced to employ more Māori and Pacific Islanders in public service, points finger at cabinet ministers who he says are happy to tolerate racial discrimination with regard to employment policy within their departments. (Kristin Lee) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA MāORI: RADIO SPECTRUM - more discussion on Māori rights to part of the spectrum.
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS INTERCONNECTION FEES - Telecom saeeks High Court orders to recover more than $20 million it says Clear Communications owes it for interconnection fees. Fees cover cost of transferring calls between the different companies and Telecom say Clear hasn't been paying some of its fees since January 1997. Comment from Telecom's Clive Litt and Clear's Clayton Cosgrove. (Paul Diamond) WRIGHTSON rural services company warns market and shareholders it's expecting loss for year ended June despite predictions things were getting better. Loss put down to range of things, including lower than expected returns in seed and technologies businesses and failing to allow fully for lease commitments. Comment from chief financial officer Simon White. (Helen Matterson) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW COMMODITY PRICES - evidence prices have bottomed out, according to latest ANZ Commodity Price Index, but still long way to go before prices recover from large falls over last year. (Paul Diamond) PRODUCTIVITY RATE in NZ falls to disturbingly low level according to study by VUW Emeritus Professor of Economics Brian Philpott. Prof Philpott says it's been around
0.8% for past 7 years, half its long term trend. Kerry MacDonald, Comalco manging director, says companies making strong productivity gains tend to be foreign-owned. (Bronwen Evans) AIR NEW ZEALAND/ANSETT - board considers this week whether airline should move to increase stake in Ansett Australia from 50% to 100%. Chair Sir Selwyn Cushing says he remains in favour of local carrier taling full ownership and will seek consensus on this when board meets. (HeleN Matterson)
0700 INTRO/NEWS ENDOSCOPY SCARE - CH Hospital writes to more than 1300 people advisig them to have blood test after it was found hospital may have used dirty equipment on patients undergoing endoscopies between January 29 and April 27 this year. According to hospital, at least 9 of the patients known to have been infected with either HIV, Hepatitis B or C, or TB. I/v with Paul Spencer, one of the patients involved. (Mng Rpt); gastroenterology dept head Dr Bramwell Cook apologises to people now required to have blood tests - i/ved. (Mng Rpt); live i/v with Health ministry's chief medical advisor Dr Colin Feek. EMPLOYMENT RACISM - Pacific Island Affairs minister Tuariki Delamere accuses public service of racial discrimination against Māori and Pacific Island job applicants. Speaking at launch of report on social and economic status of Pacific Islanders, says racial discrimination is biggest contributor to high unemployment levels of both Māori and Pacific island people. He says he's carried out his own research on issue - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) AUSTRALIA - LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - PM John Howard meets President Clinton in Washington today to protest against decision to limit lamb imports into US. Live i/v with Washington correspondent Robin Brandt. illegible NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE ELECTRICITY REGULATIONS - govt's price controls on line companies delicately balanced, with Labour MPs preparing for caucus meeting on whether to support legislation. Labour's and NZ First's support crucial to govt plans because ACT says it can't endorse price controls. Commerce Committee chair Warren Kyd appeared confident of minister Max Bradford's support for toughening power to stop anti-competitive pricing being loaded onto consumers, but Enterprise and Commerce minister Max Bradford appears to be over-ruling committee, says no need to expand electricity price controls to include retail companies; where does this leave Labour? I/v with leader Helen Clark. (Mng Rpt) PRODUCTIVITY RATE - economic study by VUW Emeritus Professor of Economics Brian Philpott reveals productivity has halved in NZ since economic reforms of 1980s and early 90s. Prof Philpott says it call into question benefits of the reforms of past 15 years. Comment also from managing director of Comalco Kerry MacDonald, Secretary of the Treasury Alan Bollard, and Aoraki Corpn's managing director Gil Simpson. (Bronwen Evans) PRISON ESCAPE - AK Prison management investigating actions of 5 staff after report into escape from Paremoremo identifies several failures in procedures. Convicted rapist Dion Matthews escaped bu putting dummy in his bed and cutting through wire perimeter fence and report indicates some staff failed to follow procedures and instructions and there were also problems with prison facilities. Live i/v with AK Prison regional manager Bret Bestic. HOPE/SMART MURDERS - focus of evidence in Scott Watson trial shifts from Marlborough Sounds area to Watson himself. I/v with Court reporter Merle Nowland. (Mng Rpt)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER ENDOSCOPY SCARE - live i/v with Dr Alistair Cowan, Australian expert on endoscopy and president of Australian Endoscopy Society; live i/v with Richrd Webb, chief exec of Canterbury Health. FAR NORTH FLOODS - Northland Regional Counciland Far North District Council receive stiff rebukes for failing to prepare for floods which deluged Hokianga communities in January. Civil Defence minister Jack Elder criticises preparedness and govt paying out only portion of million dollars requested for recovery work. Live i/v with Far North mayor Yvonne Sharp. COOK ISLANDS TAX INQUIRY - Winston Peters' lawyer arguing that Inquiry commissioner Sir Ronald Davison made legal error when he found there was no fraud involved in "winebox" transactions. I/v with reporter Julian Robins who's covering the hearing in High Court in AK. PAKISTAN - KASHMIR - PM Nawaz Sharif says Islamic guerrillas occupying parts of Indian controlled Kashmir are leaving their positions, says they've succeeded in aim of bringing issue to international attention. He say dispute should be settled by peaceful means. I/v with correspondent Owen Bennett-Jones about overall mood of his speech. (Mng Rpt)
0830 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS SEABIRDS - Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society upset govt refusing to move to reduce number of seabirds killed by long-line fishing boars, has been trying to get tougher laws brought in preventing use of long-lines which it claims annually kill thousands of birdsin NZ waters. Fisheries minister John Luxton says fishing companies have already made changes which have reduced bird deaths. Live i/v with Forest and Bird spokesman Barry Weeber and Solander Fisheries chief exec Charlie Hufflett. ROCK LOBSTER fishers in Gisborne say they might take court action against planned marine reserve. Conservation minister Nick Smith in favour of 2,400 ha reserve about 20 kms from Gisborne but Rock Lobster Industry Council says more than million dollars worth of lobster gathered from site each season and local factory almost wholly dependent on stock from that area. Comment from Council's Darryl Sykes, Conservation minister Nick Smith, and fisher Gordon Halley. (Tama illegible) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS IRAN - STUDENT UNREST - more violent clashes between riot police and students demanding more democracy. Police and Islamic vigilantes have beaten students with batons and lobbed teargas canisters to impose control around Tehran Univ. I/v with "The Guardian" correspondent Geneve Abdue about how protests have escalated since last week's peaceful demonstration against law restricting freedom of expression. (Mng Rpt) ROBIN HOOD - was he gay? Cardiff Univ English Lit professor Stephen Knight, world authority on Robin Hood, says he was - i/ved. (Mng Rpt)