They were once rivals battling to win back classical music lovers but now Sam Jackson, who as managing editor of Classic FM accused Radio 3’s Alan Davey of “aping” his network, has been hired to replace him.
The BBC has announced Jackson, 39, as the new controller of Radio 3, also putting him in charge of one of the world’s biggest classical music festivals, the Proms. He replaces Davey, who said in September he was stepping down as controller to support arts and music bodies and pursue academic interests.
As a hire from the commercial world rather than from within, Jackson’s appointment highlights the challenges Radio 3 faces. Listener numbers are down for almost all radio stations, classical included, as music fans increasingly rely on