Sir - Your correspondent Bernice Harrison and the publisher Mr John Ryan seem to be under the impression that RTE is providing free advertising for the RTE Guide (Advertising/Marketing, February 17th). This is not the case. The RTE Guide is published by our subsidiary company, Commercial Enterprises Ltd (CEL) and it pays the normal commercial rate for its radio and television advertising. Incidentally, I am happy to report that the circulation of the RTE Guide is 160,016 - over 2,000 higher than stated in your report. - Yours, etc., Kevin Healy
Director of Public Affairs, Radio Telefis Eireann, Dublin 4.
Bernice Harrison writes: The RTE Guide may indeed pay for above-the-line advertising space on RTE TV and radio, but owing to the special relationship between the publication and the station, there is significant cross-promotional activity between the two media which is not available to independent publications.