Alan Clements in High Court fight over TV jobs jump

Published on Tuesday 30 October 2007 01:16

ALAN Clements, the television programme maker and husband of Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, was yesterday at the centre of a High Court battle over his decision to leave the TV company RDF for rival Scottish Media Group.

RDF is seeking a court order preventing Mr Clements - believed to have netted almost 2 million when RDF bought his company IWC for 14 million in December 2005 - from working for SMG until December 2008.

RDF's action is based on a three-year "non compete" clause in the sale contract.

However, Mr Clements says he was constructively dismissed from RDF and entitled to summarily end his employment contract.

This would free him to work as head of content at Glasgow-based SMG, which runs two ITV franchises in Scotland and owns the production arm behind shows including Taggart and Rebus. Mr Clements, a well-respected figure in the industry, resigned as creative director at RDF by e-mail on 30 March.

RDF says Mr Clements' contract required him to give six months' notice. And RDF's counsel, Tom Croxford, said clauses in the agreement under which IWC was taken over by RDF imposed more "taxing" obligations, including an agreement preventing him from working for a rival until three years after the date of sale."

Deputy Judge Bernard Livesey is being asked to resolve the dispute in a hearing set to last four days.