There is a strong argument in favour of the argument that since the BBC destroyd the features department, sacked Charles Parker, ended the Radio Ballads because 'The Travelling People' was beyond their political pale, stopped making programmes of the quality as those 'Folk Music Virtuoso' 'The Lament', 'Songs of the People', 'The Song Carriers'.... and all the other wonderful programmes by Lloyd, John Levy, Deben Batacharia.... (even then, isolated to 'The Third Programme' or regional channels)... that perhaps they have no real interest in folk music whatever and all they are comfortable with is presenting folkie knees-ups.
Attenborough's programme (nit- picking slip aside) was a wonderful blast from the past (and maybe a glimpse of things to come if they ever got around to recognising that folk music had some importance.
Jim Carroll