Public Broadcasting Services this evening called for the resignation of Broadcasting Authority chairman Twanny Tabone.

Its call came shortly after the authority issued a statement accusing the station of not being impartial.

In its statement, the BA said that in recent weeks it noted several instances of a lack of impartiality by PBS, both in content and news selection, and would be writing formally to the station highlighting these instances.

The BA said that in the past months, it held several formal and informal meetings with PBS to discuss aspects that preoccupied it. It said it believed that, as regulator, it had to keep such contact to lead PBS to produce a news bulletin deserving of a national station.

The BA said it noted that its preoccupations were sometimes addressed and this strengthened its belief that dialogue was the best way to eliminating certain shortcomings.

However, in the past weeks, it noted several instances of partiality so it decided to warn the station and request it to immediately rectify shortcoming for the principles of impartiality and fair treatment to be ensured, especially during an election campaign.

It ordered the station to read its statement during the 8pm news tonight.

In its reply, PBS said that without making an accusation and without listening to what it had to say, the authority found PBS guilty.

The station said that this behaviour went over and above the powers of the authority and was in breach of the law.

It said that as the authority mentioned the meetings it had held with the station, it would, in the coming days, broadcast what had been said during these meetings.

PBS said if the chairman felt he was not capable of resisting to the pressures that were being made on him, he should take the honourable way out and resign rather than be part of such shameful decisions.