BBC Closes Folk Show

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: greg stephens
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 04:50 PM

I have sent two emails to different BBC people: no replies yet.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Tyke
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 08:07 AM

It really say's something about BBC the management of the BBC when they can't organises the schedules to maintain popular programmes. Fobbing listeners off with "Henry is looking to refresh this programme to include many of the favourites
that have previously been broadcast on Thursdays." Just won't wash! Over the years the management of the BBC have reduced the length of this regional Folk Programme consistently. It has been interrupted to give out regional!! Important News Flashes like the score at Hulls Ice Rink!

It's not that we are stick in the mud's that can only listen to just one kind of music. I'm certain that none of use want to prevent "RAW TALENT" from being heard on the airwaves. Why should we wish to prevent the BBC from recording new Talent! All we are asking for is that Programmes like Henry's that have been the back bone of Local Radio since it's conception should get more air space. Surely the expertise and dedication of Henry's team deserve better treatment than with no notice termination of their programme and employment.

Things have not changed at the BBC I remember Tony Wilson telling me that at Radio Leeds when the decision to combine Local Radio Folk Programmes came in he was given the job of sacking a man that had been reading out and organising the what's on part of the show for 20 years. No gold watch not thank you for all your years of service! Nothing just you are surplus to requirements.

With all the BBC resources is it so difficult to find space for specialist's programmes like FOLK. After all the world of digital radio transmissions both TV and Radio is here. They're maybe only so many hours in the day! But there is a lot more air space to fill with programming. There is lot's of new talent out their Playing Folk Music that also deserves air space. Established talented professional Traditional Musicians whose music lifts the heart and the standards of the rest of us also deserves a program space.

In short the cancellation of the Folk content part Henry's Real Music Programme is a bad decision by BBC Managers. Write email and complain and don't be fobbed off by their replies. Organise protests at concerts, clubs and Festivals and agitate the BBC management into finding and funding Local/Regional FOLK programmes in their own right. Oh and whilst they are at it they can find space for repeats of past Folk programme highlights.
George Clarke

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 09:27 PM

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 06:27 AM

Henry is all have said above a gentleman and an extremely good knowlegible broadcaster but then what does that matter the powers that be at Sheffield have dispensed with another fine broadcaster (and folkie0 Tony Cpastick recently.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Watson
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 07:10 AM

I didn't know about Tony Capstick he was always a favourite of mine when he was on the folk club circuit. I'm very sad to fear he's not on Radio Sheffield any more, but his programme was hardly folk music.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Watson
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:22 AM

...that's hear not fear

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: MC Fat
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:17 AM

Whilst Tony did a regular show - phone-ins, interviews, talk show etc. He was always 'folk friendly' and would play or interview singers, musicians. Tony's 'personal life' infringed on what the red brace brigade wanted to the pubic to hear. He is on his day one of the best.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: greg stephens
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:38 AM

Tony Capstick is one of the great sources of the type of stories that are not permitted to be broadcast.,, probably for very good reasons.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Watson
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:48 AM

I only heard Tony Capstick's show a few times - usually driving down the A1 - what I heard was good staple local radio stuff - local events and the like. What MC Fat says doesn't surprise me - I'm sure Tony would have been more than happy to include folky stuff in a mainstream programme, which is great, we need all the hope we can get, but in the context of this thread, it's not the same as losing yet another specialist music programme from the schedules.

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Tyke
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 02:01 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 04:49 AM

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,in York
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 01:14 PM

Another one bites the dust.

BBC Radio York has still not restored North Yorkshire Folk.
And I have just learned on another list that Newcastle's folk radio programme (with Alistair Anderson) has been axed. Perhaps someone else on this list will have the details?

Any ideas for collective/individual/constructive protests?

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 03:36 PM

Well, you could all go over to the BBC board and start ranting...Now THAT would be a good idea! ;0)

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,in York
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 04:14 PM

Well, there is a bit of a rant on a thread there ('is everyone on holiday'), but the title doesn't indicate what it's about; maybe time to start another one. But I think keepin' 'em busy with email to answer themselves is more useful. I think quite a bit of that went on for Radio York, no result yet, but better to have tried....

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,with better news in York
Date: 20 Jun 07 - 03:09 PM

I recently heard from [e-mail] that Radio York will be restoring some kind of folk coverage in their new schedule which may start sometime in July. As a mere guest here, I can't start a thread with a more positive title to announce the news, so I'm posting this here.

I have just written again to Sarah suggesting that it would be good if Radio York were to liaise with the folk community as it plans the show and to restore the features that drew many people to Michael Brothwell's show; if others feel the same, I very much hope that they will e-mail again now in the hope that their suggestions and views might be taken into account when planning the new show.

...By the way, I don't think you can get banned from the Radio 2 Folk and acoustic board, nor have your postings suppressed, for discussing this matter; only putting in certain web links seems to raise their ire. Well, that was my experience anyway...

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,in York
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 04:04 AM

refresh...

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: Bernard
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 04:44 AM

'What goes around comes around'

Hopefully that is good news for Radio York!

BBC GMR (now BBC Radio Manchaester... again!) axed the folk programme effective from April 3rd 2006, but we found out in advance and were sworn to secrecy.

Fortunately for us another programme's presenter learned his programme was going, and put a letter in a national daily, which then meant we could 'go public' to some extent because of what he had said.

The station is a shadow of its former self, trying to compete with other local stations doing much the same thing instead of concentrating on what it used to be best at - bringing things of interest to Manchester people to the people of Manchester!

For example, there used to be a lively programme on Sunday lunchtimes with Fred Fielder, in which people used to phone in for a chat on air. Fred had a way with people that always made the chat interesting, but the new station manager decided he wanted to 'bring the age of the average listener down'...

He still hasn't grasped that most younger people tend only listen to the radio in the car unless there is something specific they want to hear, and people listening in cars tend to prefer music because chat often gets lost amidst other noises!

To get rid of specific programmes such as specialist music and community programmes is daft... in fact, the listener figures dropped by 90% within three months, and still are not back to previous levels.

It's just a matter of time...

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: sian, west wales
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 05:49 AM

I'd be interested to know what makes some programmes 'work' and others not. Or maybe that's the wrong question but anyway ...

Celtic Heartbeat on BBC Radio Wales (Frank Hennessy's programme) is its number 1 listened-to programme - and that by a matter of thousands, not a few handfuls (combining broadcast and webcast figures apparently). So Radio Wales would be hard-pressed to argue that 'no one likes folk'. They DID change the broadcast slot from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. which I know displeased some people, particularly those who were out gigging on a Saturday night.   I "Listen Again" online so it doesn't bother me. Was this step taken by programmers hoping to erode the figures? Dunno.

Anyway - are these cancelled programmes really as unpopular as the Suits make them out to be or are they covering up the real figures just to perpetuate their own narrow and uninformed tastes? I know Frank, and work brings me in to contact with Alistair (quite a bit recently - oddly enough) and I can't believe that Alistair's work wouldn't be just as interesting as Frank's.

I don't get it.

sian

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: GUEST,Uncleboko
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 07:29 AM

The BBC board, como siempre, is moderadando by a bunch of masturbados, as you all know. The BBC se esta cerrando as they say!

Subject: RE: BBC Closes Folk Show
From: trevorbond
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 07:34 AM

Yes Alistair Andersons show appears to have been axed, I notice Mike Harding has been moved to a seven o'clock start , how much longer can it hang on. Sadly when I listen to explanations I always hear thats "it's for the good of the staion, and we need to attract a younger audience" .... " our resaearch has shown..." Now I just know that it is my fault as I cannot see the greater picture.