Dear Rana,

The Chicago Public Radio station dropped all it's folk programming about seven years ago now. It kept Thistle and Shamrock and considered Prairie Home Companion a folk show. It dropped Folk Sampler, SingOut Songbag and a local eclectic folk/enthnic show (played a variety, all of it the "real stuff"), again for news and jazz. There is a suburban public station that still has folk programming and WFMT's Midnight Special gets cabled around the country. But I tell the Chicago public radio station that they will get my pledge dollars again when they revive folk programming. Otherwise, I glady tell everyone to freeload for the programs they like on NPR.