Broadcaster defends use of ‘entirely legitimate’ accounts in letter to Oireachtas Media Committee
The barter account system first came to public attention when it was disclosed that RTÉ used one to pay its highest profile presenter, former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy, €150,000 in hidden payments.
When asked how much money had gone through the barter account, RTÉ told the committee between €1 million and €1.25 million in the last 10 years, and offered examples of spending on client entertainment - including a trip to the rugby world cup in 2019, champions league final tickets and 10-year tickets from the IRFU.
“It is important to note that the use of barter accounts is commonplace in the advertising industry. They are used by RTÉ solely in the context of its commercial activity of selling advertising airtime.” It says that through the period 2012-2022, RTÉ earned more than €8 million in revenues from barter agencies, ultimately generating an additional €5.6 million in additional revenue.
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