RTE plans to trim expenditure by £7 million (€8.9 million) in the current year in anticipation of a shortfall in advertising revenue. The cutbacks will be in addition to the £15 million, three year, cost reduction programme currently under way, the State broadcaster said yesterday. More than half of the additional savings will come from the postponement of the refurbishment of the staff canteen at RTE's headquarters in Dublin. The remainder will be through reductions in various operating budgets across the organisation. The details of RTE's latest financial crisis have emerged as the Government considers an application from RTE to increase the TV licence fee by £50 to £120.