I think the answer to Richard is complicated. The audience for folk music isn't huge - though I would argue it is a chicken and egg situation - more on radio = more audience.

Once the commercial stations no longer had to provide "community" content then it was just about the first thing to be dropped.

BBC local radio has no such excuse - and its track record on folk music is appalling. Programmes closed or amalgamated at Sheffield, Hull, Newcastle etc etc. Radio Sheffield ran a website page citing Sheffield as a centre of folk music in the UK (and so it is!!) but they still couldn't be bothered putting a programme on. I wrote to them about this. They dropped the webpage.

Recently a folk artist went to a lot of trouble for a two minute interview in Sheffield and then he was followed by Martha and the Vandellas, they couldn't even be bothered to play his music.

If the event is large then it could be covered (BBC Coventry+Warwick was covering this year's Warwick, and BBC Leeds covered Shepley. But generally they use people who haven't really got a clue what they are talikng about when it comes to folk music.

Comes down off horse.

It depends on the event. Cambridge gets huge coverage because it is a big event and the BBC puts money (I think) into it. If Sheffield (and Radio Sheffield did sponsor a festival at one time) had a huge festival then there would be mileage in it. But generally speaking they would point to a small putative audience and not bother.

HTH

Dave