Listened to the beginning of the end show today via play it again.
It is indeed sad.

I would however recommend that any and all folk presenters in the UK working with bbc make full and active use of networking sites like facebook and twitter not just when they are going down the tubes but every programme.

one good example of how this works is Sunday Folk. Ms Tudor does a great job of integrating the programme with the facebook community live.not perfect as there could be a bit more consistant interchange but gettin there..

i stopped in to Mick and Lesters facebook group page and found very little activity at all. i wont say that the inattention did them in but it did not position them as well as it could be.

Facebook provides an excellent free service that allows the presenter to connect with tousands. Ms tudor has also responded immediately to questions about the music in regard to sources and contacts and has incorporated the facebook banter into the show. this strategy puts the presenter on the best possible track. it also helps me get recordings sooner and complete important research efficiently.

another important thing to emphasis is the importance of folk music programs in the UK for cd sales and demand for concerts abroad. I started regular listening via the web about a year ago. My cd purchases have escalated at an alarming rate, ever since. Multiply this over a few hundred and it becomes an important part of the UK economy or at least the folkie economy.

Another huge problem is the reluctance of some folkies who expressed their opinions over and over on a related thread that there was nothing wrong with the folk world being small and politically narrow. There was nothing in their view wrong with playing in expensive rather than accessible settings.

Well folkies....that is why the BBC could use the theory that Minority programming could and should be cut.

Lower venue costs, broaden political expression, more ordinary players not so much emphasis on performers and you will see the folk music community grow.

Conrad