RTÉ SPENT €126,000 in its coverage of the Michaela McAreavey murder trial, which sat for 34 days in Mauritius between May 22nd and July 12th this year.
An RTÉ spokesman said yesterday the station had spent €50,000 on communications, satellite and link-up costs; €56,000 on contractors and editing costs and €20,000 in flight, accommodation and sustenance costs.
He said that while two sets of crew were used, Tommie Gorman was the only RTÉ employee based in Mauritius, where he remained for eight weeks.
Other than the link-ups and the hiring of crew, the costs were “very modest” and had constituted “extraordinary value for money”.
He said Gorman had appeared on RTÉ news and radio daily during the trial as well as contributing regularly to slots on Pat Kenny’s Radio 1 programme.