Sincerely, Conrad

... Roger Ebert answers

Dear Conrad,

One of the things I have always admired about you, and that sets you aside from the general run of proprietors, is that you so articulately and amusingly say exactly what is on your mind. I am not at all surprised by your letter to me, because I would assume that is how you would feel; what is refreshing is that you say so.

Let me just say in response that I have never complained about my salary at the Sun-Times, but to describe my lawyer as ''avaricious'' is a bit much; he engaged in spirited negotiations, as he should have, and he and you settled on a contract. It goes without saying that any contract negotiation includes the possibility that either party might choose to leave rather than to sign. I hope you are grateful that I did not demand an additional payment for agreeing not to compete with myself. Since you have made my salary public, let me say that when I learned that Barbara received $300,000 a year from the paper for duties described as reading the paper and discussing it with you, I did not feel overpaid.

Although it is true I now have my own Web site, you make it sound as if the Web site was some kind of present from the company. For years my reviews and other writings have represented more than half the total hits on the Sun-Times Web site, and presumably more than half of the paper's income from it. I am the most-read film critic on the Web. The elegant new Web site, rogerebert.com, has been an astonishing success. Since it is a joint venture, presumably both the paper and I will benefit from its success.

I enjoyed immensely those times when I had dinner or conversation with you and Barbara, and with David and Rona. You are all charming, witty, and intelligent. You can imagine my dismay when I read auditor's reports indicating the company was run as a ''kleptocracy,'' and that, between you, you allegedly pocketed 97 percent of Hollinger's profits. This while the escalators in the building were actually turned off to save on electricity and maintenance. It is hard to believe that the departing millions were not somehow related to compensation levels at the Sun-Times, since management pleaded poverty in its negotiations.