Cath, you are quite correct

Not.

Obviously it's snide to refer to 'anyone who is not called Carthy or Watterson (sic) or Rusby'.

The Waterson:Carthy family is interviewed frequently because they are highly knowledgeable and interesting interviewees. Dunno about the kRusby though. Only interview with her I recall was about how she was scared of flying. And that was on R2. Natch.

R4 has many and frequent allusions to English trad, mostly good, as an integral part of national network output. In the past few weeks (leaving aside Bright Phoebus), I've heard the Kathryn Tickell Band on Woman's Hour (an excellent source of trad music being treated as a non-weirdo item), Bellowhead on Loose Ends, somebody from the Bay City Rollers doing the Jute Mill Song on Today, Shepherds Hey played as incidental music in a drama, that Morris saga on Saturday Live and The Yetties playing Barwick Green every Sunday morning (not sure if that counts).

Actually, when 'the meeja' wants a f*lk-type spokesperson they usually call C#H. They certainly did when I worked there, and then in turn when I worked in television production I would call the library when I wanted something. Because the Artists' Index which used to be kept in a building behind Safeway on Shepherds Bush Green was (and doubtless still is) useless.