The BBC and Folk Music
I’m a bit sceptical of on-line petitions but there is a new one, organised by the English Folk Dance and Song Society, calling for the BBC to increase its folk music programming.
The BBC is currently undertaking a Strategy Review Consultation and they want to know what you, the pay-masters, think. This a good opportunity to challenge the BBC to increase its presentation of folk music.
There is a wealth of exciting traditionally-based music being played live in Britain, but the BBC’s national coverage is woefully inadequate. Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are proud of their national musical heritage, and regional programming reflects that to some extent, but what of England? Mike Harding’s selection on Radio 2 is very partial and biased strongly towards songs, with one or at the most two instrumental tracks per week.
Local coverage up here in the North East of England is patchy and vulnerable to cutbacks: for example, Alistair Anderson’s programme has disappeared from BBC Radio Newcastle, yet the North-East of England boasts one of the liveliest, most vibrant and youthful traditional music scenes in the UK.
This is our music, let us hear (and see!) much more of it!
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