Media agency founder and political pollster Walton Brown has resigned as a director of Island Press (Holdings) Ltd.

Mr. Brown, who has conducted polls for Island Press's Bermuda Sun and for the Progressive Labour Party, told The Royal Gazette that he resigned from his position on the board, after about a year and a half, because other commitments meant he could not "properly serve".

Mr. Brown said yesterday: "I felt it was unfair for me to stay on as I could not give it the time it needed." He added that his resignation had taken effect about two months ago, although the paper was notified by the Bermuda Stock Exchange of the development only yesterday. Mr. Brown, the founder of advertising agency Evoke and the periodical magazine UmUm, had also recently transferred the printing of the magazine from the Island Press to Bermuda Press, a sister company of this newspaper.

But Mr. Brown said the fact that the magazine was printed at Bermuda Press - which he said was a matter of public record - had nothing to do with his resignation from the Island Press board.

He added that he had stepped down voluntarily and remained on good terms with Island Press management. And Mr. Brown said he would continue to do polls for whomever commissioned him to do so - including for the Bermuda Sun.