McGuire appointed chief executive at Channel Nine

Eddie McGuire - the host of TV shows including the Footy Show and Who Wants to be a Millionaire - has been appointed chief executive of Australia's leading network, Channel Nine.

The 41-year-old was announced as the successor to David Gyngell, who resigned last May, and McGuire will begin in the job on Monday.

The appointment was widely expected by Australian media.

Analysts had questioned his lack of financial and management experience, as well as his lack of work in news and current affairs. Channel Nine is the historical ratings leader in Australia, but is facing a strong challenge from Channel Seven, with audience-pullers Lost and Desperate Housewives.

McGuire told Melbourne's Herald Sun that his main priority was to strengthen Nine's hold.

"Nine has been copping a bit of a belting in the publicity stakes ... we have to make sure people realise it is still the No 1 network."

Channel Nine is making an on-air personality chief executive at the same time as TVNZ is likely to recoil from doing the same, after the fallout from the resignation of Ian Fraser - also an on-air personality turned CEO.