Mumbai, Feb. 19: Kunal Dasgupta, the longest-serving chief executive in the Indian television industry, has quit Multi Screen Media, which runs the Sony television network in India.

Multi Screen, the Indian television networks arm of Sony Pictures Television International, announced today that Dasgupta, who joined the company in 1995, was resigning for personal reasons.

The resignation comes at a time Sony, the flagship general entertainment channel of the network, is grappling with low TRPs and the group is caught in a controversy over Indian Premier League (IPL) sponsorship.

Man Jit Singh, chairman of the Multi Screen board in India, will take over as interim CEO.

“Kunal… has played an instrumental role in growing our business. Kunal has amazing relationships with India’s top directors, producers and actors, plus close ties to the cricket world. While Kunal’s experience and leadership will be greatly missed, we are fortunate that Multi Screen has a strong existing management…,” Andy Kaplan, president, international networks, Sony Pictures Television International, said.

Dasgupta could not be reached for comment.

The decision came a day after a Multi Screen executive committee meeting.

“Questions were raised about the low TRPs as well as the perceived inability of the network to monetise IPL Season 2 sufficiently. Dasgupta said not too many companies were coming forward to sponsor IPL because of the meltdown,” said a source.

Dasgupta’s resignation came amid reports that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was planning to scrap its broadcast partnership with Sony Entertainment Television after Big TV withdrew its Rs 137-crore ground sponsorship rights for the IPL.

Big TV, owned by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, decided to pull out of IPL after Sony tied up with rival Airtel TV as an on-air sponsor for Rs 30 crore.

The Sony-Airtel deal would stop Big TV from airing ads during the tournament because of an exclusivity clause that barred rivals in the same category from advertising.