95bFM: The Wednesday Wire Hosted By Paul Deady

95bFM: The Wednesday Wire Hosted By Paul Deady

The bFM WIRE Today: 12 - 2pm weekdays

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1207 - Anthony Lyall's report, University Restructuring

We start the show with today's bFM news report. Anthony Lyall looks at the worry creeping across the tertiary sector as government imposed financial restraints sees universities closing departments and restructuring their academic staff. Coupled with caps on student numbers, what will all this mean for the future of our learning institutions?

1210 - Dr James Renwick, President of the NZ Assoc. Of Scientists

Straight after that at 12.10 (above) will be on the line to discuss the Prime Minister's announcement yesterday around funding for science and research. This government was pretty quick to scrap a $700 million dollar "fast-forward" fund for Research and Development that had been implemented by the previous Labour government. But this week, John Key announced science would get a fairly sizey slice of the pie in next week's budget - a budget where there's not too much money to go around. Most in the science community - including Dr Renwick - are welcoming the $321 million for science, research and technology. But James is also warning that the funding could be seen as a 'quick fix' and says science funding MUST be handled with a more long-term focus.

1225 - Ben Naparstek, AWRF (Friday at midday at AWRF)

At 12.25 I'll have the first of the interviews I've done with a couple of the big names out here this week for the annual Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. My first guest is (above) - a 24 year-old Australian who's the editor of the acclaimed magazine The Monthly - which focuses on Australian politics, society and culture. Ben's written about books and ideas for more than 40 newspapers over the last 8 years, and HIS first book In Conversation: Encounters with Great Writers was published last year. The title says it all really, it's a collection of interviews with famous writers - REALLY famous writers - including: Noam Chomsky, Haruki Murakami, Paul Auster, Umberto Eco, Robert Fisk, Michel Houllebecq, Toni Morrison and Jose Saramago to name but a few. I spoke to Ben about the book and how it came together, how he dealt with the intimidating prospect of interviewing the world's great writers and what its like to find himself on the other side of the interviewers microphone.

1235 - Counterclockwise

Selwyn Manning joins us from scoop's concrete oil spill dome for counterclockwise today. He'll be weighing in on Britain's new Prime Minister and their coalition government. Also, Selwyn will be donning his flak jacket to give us a preview of what looks to be a fascinating free seminar next week on war reporting.

1245 - John Freeman, AWRF (Sunday at 2.30pm)

And I'll bring you the second of the two writer interviews at 12.45 when we hear from John Freeman. John is the editor of the massively influential and respected Granta - a literary magazine that publishes new writing from some of the best and brightest minds in the world. He's also got a new book called Shrinking The World: The 4,000 year story of how email came to rule our lives. I spoke to John about the overlapping disciplines of reading and writing, the demands of editing such a prestigious publication and how the increasing reach of digital communication in regards to Granta might square with the main thrust of his book.

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