BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) - After over 35 years of entertaining public radio audiences, Host/Producer Mike Flynn is retiring. In a letter sent out earlier this month, Flynn announced production of The Folk Samplerwill stop after July 1's final program.
"I'll recapture my weekends, and other days as well," said Flynn.
The Folk Sampler has been in national syndication since 1982. It is heard each week over public from Alaska to Florida, from the East coast to the West.
The Folk Sampler offers a mix of traditional music, folk, bluegrass and blues. Each program revolves around a theme, anything from trains to holidays to the anguish of love.
"Generating themes is easy," Flynn said. He uses the themes as a way to explore ideas in his own mind. Much of folk music is social or political, Flynn said. As a young man, he heard musicians such as Bob Dylan grating out protests to war.
On WSKG radio, the hourlong program will continue through July 1 on Sundays at 4:00 am and 1:00 pm.
On Sunday mornings, WSKG plans to replace The Folk Sampler with Crystal Sarakas' program Free Range Folk. On Sunday afternoons at 1:00 o'clock, it will be replaced by the public radio folk fan favorite Etown.