DirecTV on Thursday said it had accepted the resignation of its chief executive, Chase Carey, to pave the way for him to take a job helping Rupert Murdoch run his News Corp. media empire. The satellite broadcaster was rocked last week when it leaked that the company's chief executive of five years disclosed at Tuesday's board meeting that he wished to leave the El Segundo company to become Murdoch's top lieutenant. In Carey's place, DirecTV has installed its general counsel, Larry D. Hunter, as interim head until a successor is named. Carey had more than a year remaining on his contract at DirecTV but was lured by the prospect of running the day-to-day operations of Murdoch's global enterprise, which includes a film studio, television stations and the Fox broadcast network and newspapers on three continents, including The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. The job had eluded Carey during an earlier stint at News Corp., when he lost out to Peter Chernin, who will step down at the end of June as chief operating officer. Unlike Chernin, Carey will have the expanded title of deputy chairman in addition to chief operating officer and president. Carey plans to leave DirecTV on July 1. The company's board decided to conduct a formal search to find a permanent chief executive. It is unknown what deal, if any, Murdoch reached with DirecTV Chairman John Malone to free Carey from his contract. Murdoch and Malone often have been business allies but, at times, fierce rivals as well. Malone's company, Liberty Media Corp., controls 48 percent of DirecTV. From 1996 to 2002, Carey was one of Murdoch's most trusted advisers, serving as co-chief operating officer of News Corp. DirecTV's interim chief, Hunter, has been the company's general counsel since 2002. 