Conrad - I think you are missing the picture.   If we were to go with public opinion, we would not be sharing singer-songwriters or traditional folk. Watch "American Idol" or listen to commercial radio and you won't hear much of either.   

You are asking for "fair space". No problem with that, but in the real world that "fair space" is not "free space". Fair space is providing equal OPPORTUNITY for a product (in this case music) to be shared and consumed. Water finds its own level and audiences discover their own music.

When the folk revival began, there were far LESS opportunities to hear this music. Radio offered little, the recording industry was NOT offering extensive traditional releases and the general public was not aware of folk music. Individuals sought out this music and collected their own - sharing with friends and eventually the commerical interests took notice and nearly ruined it for all.

Today, we reap the benefits of the past. I could spend 10 minutes and download hundreds of traditional songs and tunes - for free. I see more and more CD's of traditional music available than ever before - I would say more than when LP's were in fasion. Because of lower costs of production, CD's are able to be released without the huge expense of LP's, and the opportunties are out there.

You fall into the trap of believing what inspired and enriched your life (as well as mine and many of the posters Mudcat) should equally inspire and enrich the lives of future generations IN THE SAME FASHION.   You fail to realize that the singer-songwriters that you brush off as "easy listening" are creating the same inspiration and enriching the lives of others in EXACTLY THE SAME FASHION that your life was enriched in the previous century. The quality of writing, the subject matter AND the place in the lives of the community they are part of is probably higher than it has ever been.

The sky is not falling. Traditional music is alive and well.