RTE plans to release salaries of top earners within fortnight

RTÉ says it plans to release long-sought details of its top earners within the next fortnight.

Salary details of the 25 best-paid presenters at the national broadcaster will be published immediately after its auditors finish compiling the list "before or after Easter", a spokeswoman said yesterday.

However, the data will relate to the years 1998-2000 only. More up-to-date information will not be made available until RTÉ publishes its annual report in the summer. This will include a list of the top 10 earners for 2002.

The figures, closely guarded for years, are expected to show that Pat Kenny is the top earner in RTÉ with an annual salary of at least €400,000. Other highly-paid presenters are thought to include Marian Finucane, Gerry Ryan and Joe Duffy.

Some delay has arisen because of the different ways presenters were paid in RTÉ up to two years ago, the spokeswoman admitted.

Some staff were paid separately for radio and television work, others had a single combined salary, and yet others were paid per appearance. In addition, some staff are paid as employees, while others operate as sole traders or even limited companies.

The spokeswoman said RTÉ had to be sure the aggregated figures were correct before the information was published.

Last January, the Information Commissioner directed RTÉ to release the information after getting requests under the Freedom of Information Act. RTÉ decided not to appeal the decision, saying the years concerned were "sufficiently historic" to reduce concerns about commercial sensitivity.

In 2002, RTÉ released details of the salaries paid to its top 27 presenters, but refused to disclose who earned what. These figures showed that one presenter, believed to be Pat Kenny, earned between €400,000 and €500,000, one earned between €300,000 and €400,000 and one earned €200,000 and €300,000. Three staff were in the €150,000 and €200,000 pay bracket.

Last Friday, the station published details of salary scales for regular staff. Journalists earn between €42,205 and €57,277 depending on seniority; correspondents between 54,452 and €74,230; and newscasters between €56,820 and €66,115.