Mark Radcliffe is credited with saying that Mike Harding is a friend (see Guardian and Daily Telegraph reports). If that is so and the first M.H. knew of this decision was the first and only phone call from Bob Shennan, then so much for friendship. M.R. must have been approached and agreed to the posting long before the announcement. He could at least advised M.H. this was on the cards.

      Also , I read the BBC is wishing to have "a presenter with less traditional tastes", "to bring folk music into the mainstream" and "bring folk to a wider audience". I don`t believe it`s the BBC`s remit to do these things. Rather it should give a fair sample of everything and let the public choose for itself. Where will the listener of "traditional tastes" get his or her pleasure?. Does it mean that we are to be fed a diet of very competent, multi tracked, multi-instrumental, studio constructed productions of songs and tunes, sold to the "wider public audience" under the guise of folk music? I sincerely hope not.