Comments on: Mike Harding to leave BBC Radio 2 show

By: John Greenwood

John Greenwood — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:07:30 +0000

This is another BBC betrayal of its listeners, folk music having already been almost completely culled from BBC Local Radio, with the magnificent Radio Derby’s two hour weekly Folkwaves programme by Mick Peat and Lester Simpson, which had a devoted national and international audience, the most prominent. It is some small consolation that the one hour slot that Mike Harding is to ‘vacate’ on Radio 2 will continue with Mark Radcliffe. I wish Mark well. However, like Mike, Mark will struggle to do justice to the rich, vibrant folk genre in just an hour a week. Mike’s show was a curate’s egg but, with such a vast wealth of folk music to choose from, he could never please everyone, as Mark will also find. The BBC is totally lacking in vision and fails woefully to meet its remit except, thank goodness, for BBC Scotland which seems immune from the BBC’s perverse side lining of folk music when it has never been more popular. The vandals are inside the gates.

By: Kate Ridley

Kate Ridley — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:41:53 +0000

I too was sorry when Mark Radcliffe moved from Radio 2 and am thrilled he is taking over from Mike Harding, whose style of presentation and rather narrow playlists have annoyed me so much that I have not made an effort to listen in weekly recently. I believe Mark Radcliffe will be a much-needed breath of fresh air, but I am sorry if Mike has been treated unfairly. Hopefully he will be able to reward his fans with different programmes for the BBC or perhaps an online radio show. nb I am 60 years old and have been listening to and playing folk music for 45 years…..

By: Guy Johnson

Guy Johnson — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:21:34 +0000

I’m going off Radio 2.

This is really bad and sad.

Doesn’t matter how good Mark Radcliffe is, I won’t be able to enjoy the show after this sacking. I’m basically a loyal sort of person, and therefore dislike disloyalty intensely.

Managers need to manage their audiences and their relationships with broadcasters.

By: Roger Thomas

Roger Thomas — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:07:58 +0000

I will listen to Mark’s show; I was gutted when he was booted off to afternoons on 6Music BUT to dump Mike like this, NOT ON. I hope Mike comes back fighting – he could do a good job of in-depth profiles of the big names in popular folk and folk-rock. Largely unexplored ground on the beeb.
Or perhaps a freer version of what he’s been doing somewhere on the web perhaps.

Roger Thomas Coventry.

By: TERRY BROADWAY

TERRY BROADWAY — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:40:54 +0000

REALLY, SAD & ANNOYED THAT MIKE HARDING IS GOING, WILL MISS HIM VERY, VERY MUCH.

WILL NOT BE LISTENING TO HIS REPLACEMENT!!!!!!!!!!