Advertisers take on RTÉ
31 March 09

RTÉ is under fire from advertisers for reducing the duration of advertising breaks during the six o'clock and nine o'clock news. Advertising agencies and their clients are complaining that the move is artificially pushing up the cost of advertising in these popular segments. These news bulletins are some of the most watched programmes on RTÉ. Nonetheless, it is understood that commercial prices remain on average 35 per cent lower than last year. And some programmes continue to attract new sponsors.

Costcutter is spending €250,000 to be the main sponsor of the Crime Scene Investigations programmes running on RTÉ 2 each Wednesday night until early 2010. Costcutter recently announced an increased spend on its strategic communications of up to €2m in 2009.