American Idol's Ryan Seacrest has just lined up another high-profile gig -- he's going to host the Emmy Awards in September. Seacrest takes over from last year's host, Conan O'Brien, and follows in the footsteps of famous former hosts like Ellen DeGeneres, Dennis Miller, and Garry Shandling.

Producers say Seacrest's "broad" appeal and professionalism helped secure the job for him, but it's more likely that since Fox is broadcasting the show this year, it wanted one of its most recognizable personalities to boost ratings.

Whatever the reason, Fox exec Mark Darnell gushed in a statement that Seacrest is "a consummate host of major live broadcast events and a proven talent who always makes it look easy, which makes him the perfect choice for this year's Emmy telecast."

Seacrest was hired last week to host the pre-game and halftime festivities at the 2008 Super Bowl.

The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards air September 16th.



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