Classicjacko

Congratulations ! To Sam Jackson, who'll surely have to change his Twitter handle from Classicjacko as the new Controller of Radio 3. And perhaps use fewer exclamation marks !

Sam, probably just rising 40 (Godalming College, BA 1st in Music University of York), got a taste for radio at Radio York whilst studying for his degree. He also had a spell as a runner on the tv side of the Proms. He joined Classic FM straight from university, leaving finally in 2020.   For five years, Sam also moonlighted as a presenter on the children’s radio station FUN Kids, where he got to talk to an audience of seven-year-olds about Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.

He wrote a blog about parenting, which became a 2014 book "Diary of A Desperate Dad: One man's guide to family life from 0 to 5"  (His wife Helen, whom he met in a clarinet duet at college, has born him four children).  His other books include "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Classical Music: ...But Were Too Afraid to Ask", "50 Moments that Rocked the Classical Music World", "Classic FM's Big Book of Classical Music: 1000 years of music in 366 days". Some of these were co-authored by Darren Henley, who spookily moved from ClassicFM to replace Alan Davey (outgoing Controller Radio 3) at the Arts Council. Darren is the man now responsible for trying to shunt the ENO out of London. 

And in other connections, Sam became a Governor of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2015, where Alan Davey was appointed Chair of Governors in 2020.  

Sam's a Portsmouth fan, based in Hampshire. Looks like a lot of train hours travelling to Salford....