Hello, Ian! Welcome to this board. Have a nice time!
The latest I've heard about Brian was that he had e-mailed a colleague (at Evergreen Records) saying he was currently in New Zealand and has had no indication that his services were still needed at the BBC, so we won't even hear him on R2's FNIMN.
This is very sad news to me.
I miss Brian Kay enormously on Radio 3. Thursdays are the days when I often have the chance to spend more time in my kitchen. Light music is so nice to listen to when you're preparing a meal.