You are also missing the point that the BBC rarely keeps folk programmes. Almost all are junked after airing. We personally have recordings of Country Meets Folk, Folk Song Cellar, Folkweave, My Kind Of Folk, Folk 75 / 76 / 77 /78 / 79 ..., etc., etc. All junked by the Beeb but many taped by home enthusiasts.

Sadly with the attitudes of some on this thread with their 'white horse' comments these will deter those holding such collections to allow others to enjoy their recordings.

The parallel of course is Dr. Who and Dad's Army. Wiped by the BBC but rescued by home recordists albeit in inferior quality.

Then there is Brit. comedy with still missing eps. of The Clitheroe Kid, Navy Lark, Men from the Ministry, etc., etc. And Parsely Sidings was totally lost until home-taped copies were discovered by an overseas recordist. Many now 'lost' eps. recorded by fans are turning up all of the time ultimately to be offered back to the Beeb, which only accepts a few these likely to be restored by such as Keith Wickham (who restores home-taped recordings for BBC R4X).

But the issue with folk is that the Beeb doesn't want any recordings returned for its archives - period. We have tried to return the hundreds of recordings that we have. But the Beeb is simply not interested in the programmes (mentioned above and more). Many are good quality recordings off FM too. Indeed the Beeb is so disinterested in folk that we have stopped offering them anything, even rarites.

So good for Allen above in trying to preserve and share his recordings. He is not infringing the monetary value of his recordings because as he says they are not high quality. However he is offering the chance for others to hear likely long gone and forgotten singers or musicians. Now he is put off.

BTW our strategy is to offer recordings to the artistes (if they are still around) but many don't want to hear themselves from year's back.

As an aside their is a good archive of Carthy material on YouTube - some recordings from our collections.