"perhaps the visual aspect of it all just makes better broadcast material than mere audio"

I think this is a good point. TV is firstly an audio medium (unlike film which is visual), and the pictures are better in radio, but hands and faces can make all the difference in explaining how folk music works.

The BBC is ruthlessly bi-media these days, but I think the main reasons for the BB4 flood are financial (most of the programmes are archive, therefore cheap) and niche. There is no equivalent to BBC4 in Radio. But I do hope that the success of the BBC4 programmes (I've not seen the figures, they might not have been as good as we hope) will influence decisions re folk material in the national shows that already broadcast some, Woman's Hour, Late Junction, Bob Harris etc, and discourage the axing of any more local folk shows. If we're lucky we might even get a few new ones - like the Durbs on Radio Leeds who have bucked the trend by going down the 'posse' route - all power to them.

It's a complex situation requiring good ideas and above all good networking.

The best networking opportunity by FAR is the awards night. Wine, laughter, suits aplenty including the DG and Arts ministers, with ears softened by alcohol, a small army of attractive (?) folk enthusiasts, all sorts of slebs coming out of the woodwork as closet folkies, and above all brilliant performances by some of our most talented artists.

We'd be barking to do anything other than give it our wholehearted support.

Tom