LETTER: Price of Turner Prize dinner

From Mr Waldemar Janusczcak

Sir: In his article on the Turner Prize (14 July) your arts correspondent, David Lister, asserts that Channel 4 "puts up the pounds 20,000 prize money and can thus broadcast the Prize dinner". I wish enlightenment came that cheaply! In fact, Channel 4 puts pounds 120,000 into the Turner Prize. Some of this goes on the dinner, some on the prize money, but by far the largest amount is spent on the Turner Prize exhibition of shortlisted artists - catalogues, brochures and educational programmes.

This valuable exhibition is the reason why Channel 4 suggested to the Tate Gallery that the Turner Prize be revived after its temporary demise in 1990. The exhibition allows visitors to make up their own minds about Turner Prize artists and leaves them less dependent on the views of commentators like Mr Lister.

Yours sincerely,

Waldemar Janusczcak

Commissioning Editor

Arts and Music

Channel Four

London, SW1

14 July