Michael Cieply in the NYT reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces tomorrow (Wednesday) that Jon Stewart will be the host of the 2007 Oscars. The show is scheduled for Feb. 28 of next year.

Stewart hosted the 2005 awards, when “Brokeback Mountain” lost out to “Crash.” Ellen DeGeneres hosted last year, when “The Departed,” yawn, beat out “Babel” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” (Not to mention the unnominated “Children of Men,” Hitsville’s film of the year.)

For those who care, here’s how the audience numbers stack up, per Cieply:

The ceremony drew just 38.9 million viewers on Mr. Stewart’s watch. The number was smaller than the 39.9 million drawn by this year’s ceremony, whose host was Ellen DeGeneres, who played it folksy in an open collar and red velvet, or the 42.1 million who watched Chris Rock, who played with fire when he tweaked stars like Jude Law in 2005.

It was also far below the 55 million who tuned in when the immensely popular “Titanic” swept the awards in 1998, and Billy Crystal made one of his eight appearances as host.