Of course we can't 'fire' the BBC or Smooth Operations in so many words, George.

But the ownership situation is a fact, which is widely trumpeted by the BBC.

That means we have leverage which we wouldn't have if the awards were organised by a commercial station - and the BBC does encourage us to use that leverage.

I take it from your post that you are not perhaps 100% comfortable with the situation - just think it's a lost cause?

Well, I don't think it's a lost cause at all. I think the awards are poorly concieved and wrecklessly executed - and I have done so since I first encountered them.

If I was making a programme of that profile, with that budget, I would expect to be attacked if I carried on as casually Smooth Operations have done.

I think we should insist on an improvement - not because of any dreams of winning a trophy, or reaching a mass market, purely because I think the awards should be a credit to folk music, and at the moment they are not.

There is only one thing that is stopping our only national showcase from being a credit to everyone: JL's attitude. I think we should be doing everything in our power to persuade him to change it.

If you were up for best song, wouldn't you want to be sure you'd won on your own merits?