Jonathan Wall appointed BBC 5 Live controller

Jonathan Wall has been made BBC Radio 5 live controller, a role he has described as the "best job in radio". Mr Wall, who held the post of deputy controller, has worked at the station for 15 years. Peter Salmon, the head of BBC North, said Mr Wall had shown "enormous commitment" during his time there. He succeeds Adrian Van Klaveren, who is now in charge of the 100th anniversary coverage of World War I, in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Mr Van Klaveren left 5 live in December following a BBC review into the Newsnight report that led to a former senior Conservative politician being wrongly implicated in child abuse. Mr Van Klaveren had supervised the broadcast on November 2 last year, after he was assigned to oversee BBC News coverage of the scandal surrounding the late presenter. 'Superb station leader' Praising Mr Wall, who has acted up since Mr Van Klaveren's departure, BBC North chief Salmon added: "He played a crucial role in the highly successful move of the station to Salford and helped build a talent roster and schedule that has just clocked up a record number of successive quarters of over six million listeners. "More than anything, Jonathan has a passion for Radio 5 live's audience and I am certain he is going to make a superb station leader." Mr Wall takes up his new role - which includes overseeing 5 live Sports Extra - at Media City immediately. He said he inherits a station in "good health" after the Salford move and London 2012 coverage. "We have the potential to build on all of that and grow even stronger," he said. "I want to wake up every day knowing we are delivering live radio that you don't hear anywhere else in the UK." Wall has previously worked at BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Sport and was editor of 5 live Sport before he was given the job of deputy controller in 2008. In his new role, he will sit on the BBC North board as well as the BBC Radio board. Radio 5 live recently signed a four-year deal on racing coverage, which starts with the Cheltenham Festival in March.   BBC .