Many fans of Mike Hardings BBC Radio 2 Folk Show will be shocked and saddened to hear today that Mike’s show is to be taken over by Mark Radcliffe. The press release which I’ve quoted from below may read as though Mike has chosen to retire…according to his facebook page that is not the case. Mike made it clear to followers that “I did not choose to go – was told I was going.”
I’m sure Mark will do a great job being a folk music fan of many years but the way the BBC have gone about this is still very hard to fathom…would have been nice to see them both get a folk music show seeing as this genre of music is so big at the moment. There’s plenty of scope for another show on the BBC…or maybe we should be used to this kind of approach by now.
Mark Radcliffe says: “I can’t say how thrilled and honoured I am to be doing this. Anyone who knows me, or has seen one of my gigs, knows how steeped in folk I am and it is a joy to be able to combine work and pleasure like this. I am also well aware of how loved and cherished Mike Harding is and it is daunting to be following in his footsteps. He is a friend and someone I respect enormously and I really want to pay tribute to the sterling job he’s done on the Folk Show for so long. Thanks Mike, from all of us.”
Controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music Bob Shennan says: “Mark is a firm favourite with Radio 2 listeners and that, along with his unrivalled broadcasting credentials and longstanding passion, knowledge and hands-on experience of folk music, will make his enthusiasm infectious to all who hear him.”
He continues: “I’d like to thank Mike Harding, who has spent 15 years at the top of his game, delighting fans with his expertise and rooting out the very best folk music. On his watch, folk has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity and Mike has been key in supporting the genre and introducing Radio 2 listeners to a broad range of new artists. We very much hope to work with him again in the future.”
Radcliffe currently presents Mark Radcliffe’s Music Club, bringing the best music to Radio 2 listeners at 11pm each Tuesday. He also co-hosts Radcliffe and Maconie alongside Stuart Maconie on Radio 6 Music from Monday to Friday at 1pm.
You can find Mike Harding on Facebook here