Tonight I'm enjoying Mary Cliff's Traditions radio show (WETA, public radio serving the Washington DC area) for the last time; the radio station has decided to go to an all-classical format (nothing wrong with that, I like classical music!) and without consulting the public decided to dump her show (Sat. evenings, 9PM to 1AM) plus Prairie Home Companion and the Bluegrass show. She was the only Folk Music game in town, and over her 34 years on the air, I think she interviewed just about everyone in the folk music world. This is what's been going into people's e-mail this week..

Hi folks,
In case some of you missed this yesterday from the Branch list-serve, please read this and call or write WETA

Many, if not all, Branch members know Mary Cliff as the host of
"Traditions," the longest-running folk music radio program in the
Washington DC area. This sad note from Mary has sent shock waves
throughout the traditional music community:

"I was just informed that my folk music program TRADITIONS will end this
week and that my employment at WETA radio will end after 34 years."

Please read the note below from Jennifer Cutting explaining things a bit
further and then let WETA know how you feel about this heartless
dismissal:

This afternoon I heard the sad news that Mary Cliff has been asked to
collect her things and leave WETA FM Radio this Friday, and that this
Saturday night will be the last broadcast of her show, "Traditions." As
the WETA FM website describes it, "Traditions, [Mary's] four-hour
Saturday night folk music program, is known for its breadth: a mix of
traditional, revival, singer-songwriter, ethnic, world and kitchen
music, with a strong emphasis on artists and performances in the greater
Washington area." It is notable that Traditions is Washington D.C.'s
longest-running radio show devoted to folk music. The Institute of
Musical Traditions celebrated the show's 30th anniversary with a special
concert in January of 2004.

I called Mary and she verified the bad news, reading me excerpts of the
official dismissal letter that began, "After careful consideration*" She
is shocked, but taking it rather well, considering how sudden this is.
She told me that only last week, she was assured that the station would
keep airing "Traditions" until she retired. She is trying to remain
hopeful, and says she is keeping her ear to the ground for other
stations that might pick up her show (and Prairie Home Companion, which
is also homeless!).
Word is spreading like wildfire on the internet. Washingtonpost.com
already has an article in today's Metro section entitled "WETA to Resume
Classical Music Broadcast: Move Comes as WGMS Changes Programming."
Print media will not be far behind*Mary says she has already talked to
columnist Mark Fisher of the Post's Metro section, as well as someone
from Washington CityPaper.

This is a terrible day for the folk community -- for folk music fans;
for folk musicians who depend on Mary to help fill the venues where they
make their livings as performers; for the venues that book folk and
traditional music; for small indie labels that publish this music; and
for all who love the thriving Washington, D.C. folk music scene that
Mary has nurtured all these years.

I'm sure that as word spreads, there will be organized protests with
strategies that encourage us to pull together in a certain direction.
Until then, we can express our thoughts about the dismissal of Mary
Cliff and the loss of the "Traditions" show by phone or email to WETA's
Director of Audience Services, Sheryl Lahti. (Do remember, though, that
Sheryl had nothing to do with this decision).

Sheryl Lahti's email address is: slahti@weta.com

The telephone number for WETA Audience Services is (703) 998-2724.
Someone will answer between 9 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday, and can
transfer your call to Sheryl.

To leave a message after hours, wait until the pre-recorded message
finishes, and you hear the beep. Make sure to spell your name, and
leave your daytime phone number. Mary says that they will tally and
catalog the comments they receive; the recording says they will make an
effort to respond.

===============================================
Mary Cliff dropped in on us at the Folk Club of Reston-Herndon on this past Tuesday, so we were able to talk to her and express our dismay at this sad news. When she entered the room, she got a standing ovation; she's probably done more to promote local performers and travelling folk musicians than anyone else in this area, and she is deeply respected. It's a sad day, and yep, we're really bummed.

I think I've heard her program once or twice when flippinjg dials & it was a good one. I never listen to that channel since I'm not into classical music. I am so sorry to hear they are dropping the folk stuff from that station. It's sad to see the folk stuff dissapearing. There is never enough follk stuff out there. I sure hope here show can be brought back on the radio. They need more folk radio shows out there...

A recent column in The Hartford Courant reports on another "Folk Show" being dropped by a public radio station (WFCR in Amherst MA).
This one hosted by Susan Forbes Hansen who as the article mentions "is among five nominees for folk radio host of the year to be awarded at the International Folk Alliance Conference next month in Memphis."
Fortunately many of her listeners will still be able to hear the folk show she does on WHUS-FM out of the UofConn which she has been doing for almost three decades.

I don't have the time to do the search right now sue, but I do recall hearing on PHC this past weekend that they 'welcomed' a new station in DC (the call letters I do not recall), so apparently PHC found a home almost immediately. There may be hope yet for your folkin' folk show...

PHC was picked up by WAMU (a public radio station)

Here's an article about the format switch at WGMS (a commercial station) and WETA (a public radio station)
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/5908.html

I read somewhere that WETA decided to program classical music all week instead of just week days like they used to do since WGMS has dropped classical music altogether.

(I've been a fan of Mary Cliff's TRADITIONS for a long time and hope her show finds a home too if that's what she wants. In the meantime I'm sure she is enjoying having more time to go to concerts herself. Saturday nights won't be the same without PHC leading into TRADITIONS with Mary's lead song always being Jay Ungar's awesome version of Maiden's Prayer.)

GOOD NEWS!!!

Mary Cliff's TRADITIONS has been picked up by WAMU starting this Sat. from 11PM to 1AM

See Mary's website below for her messages of Thanks to all who supported her.

http://marycliff.net/news_items.php

welcome message from WAMU's website:
http://www.wamu.org/about/press/traditions.php

Someone just sent me the good news in an e-mail...Hoorays!

Glad she got on another station...