Chris Smith lost his job in the last cabinet reshuffle

A spokesman for Disney Television said he expected Mr Smith to start work "imminently".

The former culture secretary lost his job in the last cabinet reshuffle, after Labour's last general election victory, on 7 June.

Subsequently, under Commons rules applying to ministers, he was not allowed to take up commercial work for six months.

'Level playing field'

Mr Smith's appointment comes in the run-up to the planned launch by the BBC of two new children's digital channels, which will be competing with Disney for an audience.

Disney is continuing to press its case that the BBC should, like other broadcasters, be subject to external regulation.

The company says it "just wants a level playing field".

It would like to see the corporation regulated by the projected new television watchdog, the Office of Communications (Ofcom).

Plans to replace the various current regulators with Ofcom were set out in the draft White Paper on Communications from Mr Smith's former office last year.