Valley Folk, the long-running folk-radio program hosted by Susan Forbes Hansen that aired on WFCR-FM (Amherst, Mass.), was replaced by a jazz show last Saturday night.

"…there’s something infuriating about the death of a fine, locally produced show like Valley Folk and the silencing of Hansen," writes Hartford Courant lifestyle columnist Susan Campbell (Jan. 24).  "Jazz is wonderful, but the listening landscape just got a little more homogenized."

Hansen can still be heard on University of Connecticut at Storrs-based WHUS-FM, where she hosts Sunday Night Folk Festival.

She also is among the five nominees for folk DJ of the year in the second annual Folk Alliance Awards.  The winner will be announced Feb. 21 during the 19th Annual North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance’s conference in Memphis, Tenn.  The other nominees are: Dick Pleasants, host of Morning Express on WUMB (Boston, Mass.); Gene Shay, host of Folk Music with Gene Shay on WXPN (Philadelphia, Penna.); Rich Warren, host of Midnight Special on WFMT (Chicago, Ill.); and the late Suzanne Millsaps, formerly of KRCL (Salt Lake City, Utah).