A music graduate was invited to take part in a major American radio broadcast after being spotted on the Internet.

But his big moment was scuppered a the last minute.

Matthew Smith, 24, of Ghyll Close, Steeton, was asked to feature on a KCRW talk show broadcast in Los Angeles on Monday to talk about a controversial case involving music censorship.

Since graduating with a degree in music studies, Matthew has been experimenting with building web pages. He has put some of his degree work about music censorship on his newly-created web site, inviting people to respond.

Among the 50 or more replies he receives every week from around the world was one from KCRW two weeks ago. The radio producers were working on a production about a recent music censorship case involving the popular American gangster rapper C-BO and wanted Matthew's advice.

After lengthy telephone conversations with the producers in Los Angeles, Matthew was invited to sit on a panel of guests that included representatives from the Parents Music Resource Centre, one of the biggest censorship organisations in the world, and governing officials to discuss censorship in music on the radio's phone-in show called Which Way LA?

But just as the show was about to go on air it had to be cancelled because of complications involving the rapper court case.

Matthew became interested in music censorship through his university dissertation on the subject.

After failing to find any books or information on censorship in music, he decided to do his own research from scratch and then publish it.

He says: "Music censorship is a huge interest in America, so my factually-based account of the history of it and how it affects music and society has proved to be very popular. The site has been up for just over a year and the response has been amazing.

"It's a subject on which no books have been written, so I really wanted to help other people wanting information on music censorship.

"That's why I put it on the Internet.

"I was so surprised about the response, but I am very pleased that everyone has found it useful."

Matthew teaches guitar and plays in a four-man rock band called PCT. He also gives lessons on how to use the Internet and construct web pages.

Matthew's web site address is http://www.dsmtserv.-demon.co.uk/banned

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