The BBC has ordered a “content” review of a radio show fronted by its highest paid presenter in Northern Ireland amid an ongoing boycott by nationalist political parties.
The Irish Times has learned the internal investigation into The Nolan Show, presented by Stephen Nolan, was sanctioned to resolve the row between itself and the SDLP, which has refused to take part in the Radio Ulster programme after the party’s Stormont leader, Matthew O’Toole, was taken off-air in March.
Remarks made by Mr O’Toole, an MLA for South Belfast, about David Campbell, the spokesman for the Loyalist Communities Council – an umbrella group which issues statements on behalf of some loyalist paramilitary groups – led to the interview being cut short.
Sinn Féin has not directly engaged with the programme – at around 150,000 listeners a day, Mr Nolan describes it as “the biggest show in the country” – in several years.
Earning more than £415,000 from the licence fee in 2021/22, Stephen Nolan is the BBC’s fifth highest paid presenter in the UK and top earner in BBC NI.
Sources say that a “heated” meeting took place between the SDLP and BBC Northern Ireland director Adam Smyth in April, with party leaders raising concerns about the balance of the programme’s contributors and editorial accountability.
Monitoring data was sought on the appearance of political contributors.
It is understood the party received an email last week from Mr Smyth, in which he confirmed that a review of “content” on the programme over a “typical one month period” had been completed to address the issues raised in the meeting.
A date was sought for a second discussion.
The development comes after a separate internal review by the BBC’s executive complaints unit (ECU) found Mr Nolan was justified in halting Mr O’Toole’s contribution during the March 3rd programme.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the SDLP described the BBC’s handling of the matter as “extremely poor”.
It is understand the party has not yet agreed a date to meet Mr Smyth and other senior BBC management until it receives a copy of the review scrutinising The Nolan Show’s content.
One party source said they would have preferred the scope of the review to focus on a six-month period.
The SDLP statement also referenced the RTÉ crisis and demands for transparency.
“Scrutiny of public broadcasters across our island is rightly intensifying, that includes on issues of pay transparency, content and, critically, the balance of contributors. Current affairs programming, in particular, has a significant responsibility to audiences to represent diverse view points and debate issues in a way that meets the public interest.
“The SDLP is hopeful that these matters can be addressed swiftly in order to retain public confidence in programming North and South.”
Asked to explain why The Nolan Show sits in the ‘speech area’ of BBC Radio Ulster rather than “under the editorial and management control of the BBC NI news team”, the BBC said it “reviews everything that we do on an ongoing basis, taking account of audience feedback and our ambition to make BBC programmes the best that they can be”.
“This work draws on the professional editorial judgment of BBC staff and is largely routine. Its specifics are confidential, but its impacts should be apparent in what people see and hear on the BBC”.
It added: “Stephen Nolan’s weekday programme on BBC Radio Ulster provides an important and popular forum for listener-led encounter and debate. And it benefits from the involvement of elected representatives – explaining their policies and views, debating with others and responding to audience issues and concerns. Our airwaves remain open to all of them.
“The BBC Charter defines and protects the corporation’s independence in editorial and creative decision-making, the procurement and commissioning of output and services, and the management of its affairs. It also describes the multiple ways in which the BBC is accountable for the services that it provides. Everything we do takes place within this context and in accordance with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and OFCOM’s regulatory requirements.”
The statement noted that the complaint about Mr Nolan’s treatment of Matthew O’Toole in his programme on March 3rd “wasn’t upheld by the ECU, because no editorial guidelines were breached”.
Mr Nolan’s 2021/22 salary – a rise of more than £10,000 on the previous year – also includes presenting work for his BBC Radio 5 show and television work.
