The BBC has been accused of being “secretive” about Stephen Nolan’s total earnings and his connection to a leading bookmaker.
Days after it was revealed that his production company, Third Street Studios, was transferred to an entity controlled by a bookmaker, his radio show highlighted the dangers of gambling.
However, there was no declaration to listeners of Mr Nolan’s connection to the industry and the potential of a conflict of interest.
Commentator and former newspaper editor, Denzil McDaniel asked if BBC NI management is “tone deaf” to the public interest issues around the transfer of Mr Nolan’s £4m company.
Mr Nolan is on holiday in the US, with presenter Holly Hamilton filling in on his weekday Radio Ulster show.
Last week, the Irish News reported that Mr Nolan transferred all his shares in Third Street Studios Limited – which had nearly £4m in accrued funds at the end of March 2022 – to Tsseot Limited which is headed by Paul McLean, managing director of McLean’s Bookmakers.
Responding to questions last week about the new business move, Mr Nolan said he was “delighted” that his staff would now be advised by “one of the most successful entrepreneurs” in Northern Ireland.
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“Third Street has been approached by an industry leader in London to discuss teaming up to develop programmes for the national and international market," he said.
"There is now a chance for the company to grow, but it will be a hard journey and I’m 50 this year.”
On Tuesday, a 15-minute segment on the Nolan radio show discussed Chelsea Football Club cutting ties with a sponsor because of unrest among supporters about gambling.
The debate focused on whether gambling sponsorship should still have a place in sport, the context in Northern Ireland and gambling sponsorship in Irish league soccer.
In 2012 Glentoran FC announced that its historic east Belfast stadium would be renamed the BetMcLean Oval after signing a £250,000 sponsorship deal. The firm had already been a main sponsor of Glentoran for a number of years.
BetMcLean has also sponsored the NI Football League Cup since 2017.
Asked why Mr Nolan’s connections to the firm’s managing director wasn’t made clear to listeners, BBC NI said: "We have detailed and well-established arrangements in place to deal with potential conflicts of interest. These are engaged where relevant, and as a matter of course."
It comes as it was revealed that Mr Nolan remains the BBC’s fifth highest-earning broadcaster, taking home a salary of £400,000- £404,999 in 2022/23.
Mr McDaniel said: “Is BBC NI management tone deaf to the public interest issues raised by the Irish News about the funding of programmes involving Stephen Nolan?
“Among a raft of information revealed last week, we learned that Stepen Nolan has transferred company shares to a leading bookmaker. Yesterday, the Nolan Show, albeit under a stand-in, featured a story about betting companies sponsoring football clubs.
“I’m not suggesting any wrongdoing here, but did anyone think about the perception of a potential conflict of interest in the listener’s mind?
“Clearly not. It doesn’t give much encouragement to those of us who have been calling for more transparency about the way our licence fee is spent.
“We learned yesterday that Nolan remains a top earner, with a salary of over £400,000. But the BBC remains tight-lipped about how much more is paid to his production company and that company’s position in relation to others in the independent sector.
“The Irish News reporting of this raised issues; but so far there been a refusal by the BBC to answer questions. Indeed, yesterday’s lack of understanding of the nuance of the Nolan Show reporting on gambling appears to portray a secretive attitude to the concerns of licence payers.”
