BBC NI Journalists Earn Outside Income | Belfast News

Twelve BBC Northern Ireland presenters and journalists secretly earned extra cash from outside gigs—ranging from charity events to government briefings—while the BBC tightens its grip on moonlighting. Mark Simpson and Barra Best led the pack, with NI staff collectively raking in £80k from 70 gigs. UK-wide, the total hit £657k across 550 gigs. Though most gigs paid under £1k, a few topped £5k. Stephen Nolan, BBC’s highest-paid journalist, reported zero outside work despite earning over £400k. Critics say such gigs can boost public messaging—if not just for fame. The BBC remains silent, but the controversy sparks a wider debate on how public broadcasters monetize their platforms. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3baf418a72319136