RTÉ WILL SAVE €100,000 when they stop giving out free RTÉ Guides to retired staff.

Company pensioners will no longer get a free weekly copy in the post, as it was proving too expensive.

The broadcaster told TheJournal.ie that approximately 1,250 people were being posted the RTÉ Guide every week and that that the majority of the money saved will be from savings in postage costs.

RTÉ has reviewed the practice of issuing a free copy of the RTÉ Guide to RTÉ pensioners. This will result in an annual saving of approximately €100,000.

All former RTÉ staff were sent a letter telling them the news by RTÉ Senior Human Resources manager, Michael O’Brien.

The Cork Evening Echo reports that the letter stated:

I must inform you that RTÉ has decided that the weekly posted free distribution of the RTÉ Guide to pensioners is no longer sustainable as it costs in the region of €100,000 per annum. With effect from February 2014, the RTÉ Guide will not be posted to pensioners.

When asked about the distribution of the RTÉ Guide in RTÉ itself, TheJournal.ie was told that there was a “supply for distribution in each building” but that “there was not a free copy of the RTÉ Guide for all workers”.

This is seen as another step for RTÉ to cut their costs:

RTÉ can confirm that it achieved a break-even result for 2013. This was due to extensive ongoing cost-saving across the organisation, saving which have seen over €135 million taken out of operating costs, and staff reductions of almost 500 people.

RTÉ has had a reduction in revenues in recent years and they have stated that “voluntary pay cuts remain in place for all staff, and the suspension of increments and bonuses for managers remains”.

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