Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 10:15 AM

Sorry Dave - I really meant to ask what's the programme that is involving you in their discussion? BBC national or local radio or other?

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 10:09 AM

Doing it over the telephone from home I guess.

AS far as I am aware and I can stand corrected on this one - "needle time" is what the BBC pays for playing music on the radio. If it is part of a review for example it can be free. Again - as I understand it - a programme will get allocated some needle time (cost) - the rest of the programme has to be made up of other things - reviews which are free of needle time charges and speech based stuff - thus making for a boring folk music programme.

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: greg stephens
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 10:04 AM

The Mike Harding show, and Smooth Operations involvement in folk on the radio, has been around long enough. Time to move on, surely.It has got too involved with commercial interests with little or nothing to do with folk. The general thrust of the programme now seems to miss the target, never mind the controversy of last year about "voting" in the Radio 2 competitions.
Radio 3 is probably the right place for specialist programmes.
Radio2 for a user-friendly hour a week, they can still find time for that.
Radio 4 needs more embedded bits, as now but more so. Folk music can fit into countryside, news, food, woman's hour, drama, social commentary etc etc.And Radio 4, perhaps more than 3 or 2, could I think find an hour or half an hour a week for actual British folk(of all ethnic groups) in the old sense(ie traditional performers, archive recordings etc).
Radio 1---probably not, unless people have actual hits like the Pogues and Dubliners used to, in which case play them!
Local stations should each have a folk programme of course, as well as scattering regional music throughout their output.
Well, that's a start. Vernacular art is the bedrock of all else, and for the BBC to ignore it as it does at present is plain stupid. They are quite happy with old farmhouses, old churches, old landscape, old recipes etc etc. So what's wrong with the peoples' music, which is as old as the hills and as young as a new-born baby.?

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:57 AM

Local Radio should be the ideal place to have folk programmes - coverage is local enough to include diary dates and give the actual folk clubs a plug where you can go and see live acts. Listen again facilities that are now commonplace over the internet means that anyone can listen wherever they are in the country if they so wish.

The problem is getting station managers who hate music (of any description) to subscribe to this. We've already lost Ali O'Brien, Ali Anderson and Henry Ayrton to changes in management who have their own agenda.

Can someone tell us more about "needle time" please? I know it's the amount of time allowed for broadcasting recorded music but is it applied to everything in copyright or certain labels and how much are you allowed - cost presumably comes into the equation - it always does!

Where are you doing this talk Dave?

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: peregrina
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:45 AM

Folk music being the music of the folk, I'd like to hear it on all radio stations--2, 3 and 4--and in different formats, as music, for its historical and cultural interest, as human interest.--To some extent we already have that--but too little!

Newcastle and York local BBC radio have recently lost their folk programmes.

Late Junction (which often has some nice folk tracks of both current musicians and the real old timers in its eclectic mix) has gotten later and less.

Yet: Radio 4's slots about Folk, whether short bits about performers in Women's Hour, longer pieces (like the 'Singer not the Song' piece on Folk) or coverage of the cultural significance of folk songs seem to get positive reception and often get repeated on 'Pick of the Week'.

Seems to me that radio play of UK Folk Music has some of the same merits as eating local produce rather than stuff flown in from across the globe.

So here's my vote for more of it. And for the return of the local BBC folk shows. (Isn't the BBC supposed to serve communities?)

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:45 AM

I doubt it!!

Dave

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Tim theTwangler
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:44 AM

Radio 4 seems to be hearable almost anywhere you go.
I would like to hear anything other than more Mike Harding
He has his place right enough but a different format/approach?
Good luck with the editing,do you get any say in how your comments are used in this?

Subject: RE: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:37 AM

The BBC could do worse than reinstate Henry Ayrtons Real Music Show.

Radio 2 is the obvious choice to pull in the largest audience, as long as Mike Harding, John Leonard and Smooth Operations aren't involved, John Leonard in particular has done the reputation of folk music and honest broadcasting very severe damage.

eric

Subject: Lack of Folk Music on BBC - thoughts
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:29 AM

I have been approached to talk on the radio about the lack of folk music on BBC Radio especially local radio. This is a result of me complaining about the closing of the Radio Newcastle Folk Show.

One of the questions I am going to be asked is where I think folk music place should be on the radio dial.

I would be grateful for mudcatters opinions on this - I am doing the recording Monday (Rachel McShane of Bellowhead will be involved too I am given to understand).

Serious answers only.

Radio4 - argument would be most folkies are Radio4 listeners at a guess argument against, it is generally a speech based programme. Would notpick up casual listeners.

Radio3 In favour, specialist music programme area so ideal place. Against - classical music mainly - will probably be on late. Could new listeners find it there?

Radio2 Against already does one show MH - in favour, could be a more specialist show (like it used to be).

Local Radio In favour Stan Ambrose does a great show on Merseyside, (he is being involved also) Mike Peat also on Derby, etc.

Then there is the problem of needle time which will probably come up.

Anyway lets have a friendly discussion on here - arguments where it ought to be and say somewhere please otherwise I will look daft!!

Dave