Brian,

While the statement "1% of the folkies control nearly all of what is heard in folk music clubs and societies" may be rhetorical and the percentage may not be precise, the questions of access, openness, and diversity are very real concerns. So whether it is 1%, 2%, or 5%, it refers to a disproportionately small number of people who use their positions as program directors, bookers, society officers, etc., to limit the range of music that is heard based upon their own personal tastes.

--- Steve