The grandson of former taoiseach and president Éamon de Valera has failed to have his complaint about an RTÉ documentary on the Irish Press and his family upheld by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
In a submission to the BCC, complainant Dr Éamon de Valera said a documentary entitled A Family Fortune: de Valera's Irish Press was a deliberate exercise in attacking his grandfather, his father and himself.
The programme, aired on July 26th, 2005, investigated how president Eamon de Valera's controlling interest in the Irish Press Group had been acquired, and how it had been transferred to successive generations of his family.
Dr de Valera said the film's title was misleading and suggested a family fortune had been made out of the Irish Press, and that it was founded with disregard for the proper interests of original subscribers.
He concluded there was a case of extreme bias on RTÉ's part, selective presentation of the facts, repetition of falsehoods without checking facts or sources, and suppression of facts.
RTÉ strenuously denied the allegations, saying the documentary was fair, accurate and thoroughly researched by means of more than 100 new documents which it had unearthed. The national broadcaster argued that the programme replaced many myths and rumours with facts that could be verified through primary sources.
RTÉ's submission states: "RTÉ regrets that Dr de Valera did not take the opportunity to make his points within the documentary. He declined two offers to take part in the programme, writing to the producer that, 'you will have to wait until I write my book'."
The BCC concluded that the topic was of public interest and the programme was presented in a balanced manner.
But a complaint by John T Reilly on behalf of Irish Ferries about an RTÉ Prime Time report on that firm last July was upheld. The BCC said the broadcast infringed the fairness and balance regulations because the firm's position was presented in an "evasive manner".