Scottish Screen Chief Executive John Archer was fighting to secure his future with the organisation, at a board meeting taking place as Netribution went to press.

Archer has been under fire since May, when it was revealed that Scottish Screen's lottery panel had awarded a £24,000 development grant to a film directed by his wife, Clara Glynn.

He declared his relationship and did not take part in the meeting at which the grant was approved. He has since introduced measures to further distance those with an interest in grant applications from the decision-making process.

Restucturing

Archer was due to present plans for a management restructure, which he has been working on since before Christmas, at a board meeting taking place last Friday, as we went to press.

The Scottish Screen board usually takes decisions on the basis of concensus, without resorting to a formal show of hands. It is understood that there is likely to be a vote this time on whether to approve the chief executive's plan, but some directors said they would like to avoid a formal vote.

Disquiet

A member of the board told Netribution: 'There is some disquiet about his leadership qualities, but the board do need to give him an opportunity to put his plans in front of them and think about them.'

If the board rejects Archer's plan, his future at Scottish Screen will be thrown into doubt. 'Any CEO who does not have the confidence of the board is clearly in a difficult position,' the same source said.

Loss Of Confidence

A second director said: 'The industry is looking to the board to assert itself and that will happen on Friday. Many people in the industry have been concerned at the bad press Scottish Screen has been suffering. It is not just about news coverage. The main concern is that we are in danger of losing the confidence of the industry because Scottish Screen's strategy and role has been neither appreciated nor understood.'

Archer is said to be surprised at the comments from his directors, coming as they did in the same week as the release of Late Night Shopping, predicted to be Scotland's most successful film since Trainspotting.

He said: 'The one question to ask of Scottish Screen is 'Are there any good films?' We had the only British prizewinner at Cannes coming out of Scotland. We have just released a tremendous low-budget film which looks set to be very successful.'

He declined to speak about Friday's meeting. 'Board business is confidential and so I'm not prepared to comment.'

Allegations Undeserved

Ros Borland, chairman of the Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) in Scotland, has worked closely with Archer setting out the guidelines for awarding grants. She said: 'I think that the allegations of cronyism that have been decried by the Scottish press are completely untrue. They have been undeserved, certainly for John's own reputation. John has tried his very best under very difficult circumstances.'

Hit List

There was concern at Scottish Screen last Wednesday when the agencyòs name appeared on a list of 61 quangos that the Scottish Executive is poised to axe. Culture minister Allan Wilson wrote to Scottish Screen chairman James Lee on Thursday to say the agency would not be abolished. Wilson wrote: 'While we do not propose any change in the status of Scottish Screen, we do propose a wider review of our support for the creative industries. This review will take account of the role of Scottish Screen within the creative industries.'

However, directors are worried because the review will be taking place after a spate of bad press. 'The review comes at a time of weakness for Scottish Screen,' said one.

Board Membership

Scottish Screen has a board of 13, which includes BBC Scotland controller John McCormick, Scottish Media Group television chief Donald Emslie, Channel 4 nations and regions head Stuart Cosgrove, Tern Television founder David Strachan and former BBC Scotland drama chief Andrea Calderwood.

Scottish Screen took over responsibility last April for awarding lottery cash from the Scottish Arts Council. The organisation was formed four years ago through the merger of various industry bodies. Archer has been its chief executive and Lee its chairman from the outset.

Archer joined Scottish Screen from the BBC, where he spent many years both making and commissioning films, and where he was latterly head of arts programmes in Scotland.