I can recall Robin Hall and Jimmie McGregor playing folk music every night of the week in Tonight on prime time TV: later Jake Thackeray. The Spinners had their own series. The Corries ditto. The pop music shows had folk acts as a normal event. The Blackpool Taverners were on the Royal Command performance. Bob Dylan's tour was a major media event, Pete Seeger's less so but still widely touted. Julie Felix was a major star. And this was with just two TV channels. Perhaps more 60s than 70s, true. But seen as late as the 1980s Granada ITV showed the Houghton Weavers on a regular spot.

And you compare that with singleton appearances of Eliza or Julie Fowlis on Jools Holland in a low-exposure slot on a minority channel. Comparable in terms of public exposure? Hardly. The hypothetical main-in-the-street would know Julie Felix: does his equivalent nowadays know Eliza? (Preferences do not enter into this.)

No, I probably do not get to that many folk festivals, my daughter gets to more, but I did say that there were signs of a rise of interest. As to the quality of the acts in earlier times, perhaps you could get together with Folkiedave and reach some kind of consensus. I'm happy with the quality of those I get to see - and indeed of those I may choose to miss.