Channel Nine Perth chief Ian McRae has quit the station.
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Colleagues took to Twitter late yesterday to wish the media veteran well.
![Channel Nine chief Ian McRae has quit. Channel Nine chief Ian McRae has quit.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/65f1db68-b717-4e45-8395-1108d4ade4be.jpg/r0_0_729_1094_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Sad departure from Nine Perth of my mate Ian McRae. There is life after television," Nine and WIN news director Stewart Richmond posted.
McRae will now move away from the media and establish his own wholesale agency with his wife, Shiralee.
"The opportunity to take up the business was too good to refuse and Shiralee and I are both very excited. It is also giving me a clean break from working in the media, which I have done now for 32 years," he said in a memo issued to staff.
He will pack up his desk in four weeks.
His replacement has not been announced.
McRae is the fourth key staff member to leave the station this year.
News presenter Dixie Marshall and political reporter Jessica Strutt have since moved into other roles in media and communication management.
While sports presenter Michael Thomson is yet to confirm his future plans, unconfirmed reports suggest he may relocate to London in time for the 2012 Olympics or accept a local role in sports administration.
Regardless of politics behind-the-scenes, according to OzTam's latest ratings reports, Nine has the second highest market share of Perth television, trailing Seven by just over 11 per cent.
However, Nine is tipped to make a ratings splash in the coming months thanks to the highly-anticipated return of Two and a Half Men with Ashton Kutcher stepping in to replace Charlie Sheen.
The new series has been fast-tracked so Australian audiences will be introduced to Kutcher's character, divorced internet tycoon Walden Schmidt, tonight just hours after the new series goes to air in the US.
Nine will also be responsible for bringing Big Brother back to Australian television after confirming a new series of the reality show will go into production.