It would be lovely if the Mike Harding Show could represent every individual's own tastes in folk music. But it's only an hour, there are as many opinions as there are folkies (certainly on Mudcat) and the programme, I am sure, has all sort of pressures from the BBC. Those pressures are probably financial (have you seen the cut backs throughout the BBC?) and no doubt artistic in order to keep up the ratings. Perhaps that's why the programme is sometimes a bit formulaic and if you notice, there are fewer outside broadcasts and even interviews than there used to be.
The sad thing is that this is the only dedicated folk programme on BBC national radio. Yes, there is stuff in Scotland and there's Late Junction on R3. But this is the only dedicated one.

As for the BBC Awards, I did think that perhaps some of the presenters could have been less willing to show their ignorance of the music and less willing to hide behind humour about the music. But Rob Brydon was very funny .... as was Stephen Fry a few years ago when he started his speech with the ironic "My life is folk music". But alongside this, there are some real enthusiasts for the music in unlikely quarters.

All in all, the Folk Awards are a good thing .. they help promote the music and each year there are new people being nominated and winning. If you feel that your bit of the folk scene isn't represented, all I can say is that it can't represent it all, and hopefully the trickle down effect will help strengthen the music in all its forms.

Derek Schofield