Prime chief tipped for Nine job

Prime chief Chris Taylor has impressed his masters across the Tasman. File Picture / Martin Sykes

SYDNEY - Chris Taylor, chief executive of Prime TV in Auckland, has been tipped as a successor to David Gyngell at Australia's Channel Nine.

Gyngell resigned from the head post at Australia's best-known commercial television channel on Monday, citing interference from senior executives at Kerry Packer's parent company Publishing and Broadcasting (PBL).

Gyngell has been temporarily replaced by New Zealand-born Sam Chisholm, the chairman of Prime and a man with a reputation as one of the hard heads in Australian television.

Chisholm, 65, headed Nine between 1975 and 1990.

The Australian newspaper said yesterday that Taylor, 32, was being touted as a successor to Gyngell.

"Chisholm is chairman of this company [Prime] and is reported to be impressed by Taylor, a former sales representative for Nine and a son of former Nine executive Lynton Taylor," the newspaper said.

Taylor has made an impression in boosting Prime's impact in New Zealand, securing Paul Holmes in a coup against Television New Zealand.

Chisholm is now executive director of PBL's television interests until a new chief executive is found for Nine.

Gyngell is Kerry Packer's godson and was best man at the wedding of Packer's son James.

James Packer is executive chairman of PBL and reportedly tried at the weekend to persuade Gyngell to change his mind.

- NZPA