The chief executive officer of Multi Screen Media, Kunal Dasgupta has relinquished his job following sponsorship deal row with BCCI. The Multi Screen Media looks after the television business in India for Sony Pictures Television International. According to a company statement, Dasgupta has resigned from the company owing to his personal reasons. Meanwhile, the Multi Screen Media has appointed Manjit Singh as the interim CEO of the company.

 

Manjit Singh, chairman on the Multi Screen Media (MSM) board will hold the office of the CEO till a replacement for Dasgupta is found.  Kunal Dasgupta has been leading Sony Entertainment Television (now MSM) since 1995. According to close sources, the resignation of Dasgupta came in the wake of sponsorship controversy going on between BCCI and Sony. As per reports, the BCCI has asked MSM to compensate the Rs 137-crore loss the board has suffered due to pulling out of Reliance ADAG-owned Big TV from on-ground sponsorship.

 

Big TV had signed up with IPL for on-ground sponsorship for Rs137 crore but later called off the deal as MSM had signed an exclusive Rs30 crore deal with its rival Airtel Digital. The BCCI has alleged MSM that it was after Sony's deal with Airtel that Reliance-ADAG walked out of the IPL deal. The officials of MSM now find themselves in dilemma to either ensure Airtel also comes on board as IPL's on-ground sponsor or pay IPL Rs 137 crore for the damage.