The day after resigning from CNN, Lou Dobbs, the best-known business-news journalist in television, said he had no intention of joining another television network.
''Absolutely not,'' he said yesterday, responding to speculation that he might jump to a rival, either Fox News or CNBC.
Mr. Dobbs, who was the anchor of one of CNN's most profitable programs, ''Moneyline News Hour,'' and the founding executive of the financial-news network CNNfn and its Web site, CNNfn.com, said he would give his full commitment to his new responsibilities involved in the start of Space.com on July 20.
He will become chairman and chief executive of the start-up Web site, devoted to information and entertainment related to outer space, in which he also has a substantial investment. Mr. Dobbs, who has been a space enthusiast for many years, said yesterday that he was so eager to secure the site that he had purchased the Internet address 18 months ago.
''I believe space is the most exciting and biggest news story of this year and of the next millennium,'' he said yesterday. ''I'm fundamentally a journalist, and can't resist the biggest story. We'll be the category definer, the first mover, the authoritative site.''
As word of Mr. Dobbs's departure spread through CNN and CNNfn yesterday, Gerald Levin, chairman of Time Warner, CNN's parent company, moved to calm the troops. He telephoned a meeting of CNNfn's senior executive team in the morning, saying CNNfn and CNN's financial news programming together were a ''centerpiece of the Time Warner media growth plan for the future,'' and the executives made sure that that statement was distributed throughout the networks.
''As markets expand and trading hours expand, financial news will become even more central,'' Jeff Gralnick, executive vice president of CNN financial news, said yesterday. He and David Bohrman, executive vice president of CNNfn, will continue reporting to CNN's chairman and chief executive officer, Tom Johnson, as did Mr. Dobbs.
CNNfn has about 12 million subscribers now, well behind the top business-news network, CNBC, with 69 million. CNN reaches about 75 million homes.
Mr. Dobbs's resignation came at a key moment for both CNN and CNNfn, as all cable networks are in the midst of their advertising sales season. Larry Goodman, president of sales and marketing for CNN, said his staff had phoned key advertisers Tuesday night to tell them about Mr. Dobbs's move, and none had canceled their orders.
''A lot of people were surprised,'' Mr. Goodman said. ''But we're in the middle of a pretty robust market now. We had three major financial services advertisers pending, and all three closed their deals with us today.''
While not disputing that he has had personality clashes with Rick Kaplan, the president of CNN/U.S.A., Mr. Dobbs said yesterday that was not a major factor in his decision. He had even hoped, originally, that he might be able to invest in Space.com while continuing with his various duties at CNN, he said.
''But the level of investment I want to maintain in this was incompatible with keeping the job I had,'' he said. ''Frankly, a passive investment at the end of day wasn't what I wanted. I want active participation.''
Going with Mr. Dobbs is Rich Zahradnik, a key executive in helping to start CNN Interactive and CNNfn.com. He has been working for Mr. Dobbs to develop special Internet projects for the last 17 months.
Alluding to the fact that many people associate Web site start-ups with young entrepreneurs, Mr. Zahradnik, who will be president of Space.com, said that ''because of age prejudice or executive prejudice,'' many people do not realize that Mr. Dobbs, who is 53, is an Internet aficionado.
''He knows it, he likes it, he uses it, he is fascinated by the medium,'' Mr. Zahradnik said.
วันพุธที่ 11 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
Update: Lou Dobbs to Quit CNN
The New York Times' Media Decoder blog reports:
Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, said Wednesday that he is leaving the cable news channel effective immediately.
Sitting before an image of an American flag on his television set, he said “some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day.”
“I’m considering a number of options and directions,” Mr. Dobbs added. A transcript of his remarks is available here.
Jonathan Klein, the president of CNN/U.S. said in a statement that “Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere.”
“All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom,” Mr. Klein said.
Wednesday’s program will be Mr. Dobbs’ last on CNN. His contract was not set to expire until the end of 2011. He told viewers that CNN had agreed to release him from his contract early.
CNN indicated that it would name a replacement for Mr. Dobbs on Thursday morning.
Mr. Dobbs informed his staff members of his intentions in a meeting Wednesday afternoon, catching some of the staffers off-guard.
Well known for his political positions, Mr. Dobbs is an outlier at CNN, which has sought to position itself as a middle ground of sorts in the fractious cable news arena. The CNN employees said Wednesday that they did not know if Mr. Dobbs was moving to another network.
Mr. Dobbs met with Roger Ailes, the chairman of the Fox News Channel, in September. At the time Mr. Dobbs was viewed as a potential hire for the Fox Business Network. But a Fox spokesperson said Wednesday, “We have not had any discussions with Lou Dobbs for Fox News or Fox Business.”
Mr. Dobbs has been with CNN since its founding, save for a two-year stint at a Web site called Space.com. He has evolved over the years from a straight-laced business anchor to an outspoken commentator who rails against illegal immigration and taxpayer bailouts, among other subjects.
Lately, though, he has saved most of his opinions for his afternoon radio show, which made its debut in March 2008. It is on the radio show that he talked repeatedly about the conspiracy theory claims that President Obama is not a United States citizen. When he mentioned the citizenship issue on CNN over the summer, his bosses were forced to call it a “dead issue.”
More recently, Mr. Dobbs’ views on immigration provoked a protest by Hispanic groups. Members of the groups complained that CNN was allowing Mr. Dobbs “to spread lies and misinformation about us each night.”
Wednesday evening, the advocacy group Presente.org, which had called on CNN to fire Mr. Dobbs, declared a “victory.”
“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs — who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos — does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’” Roberto Lovato, a co-founder of Presente.org, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”
Last month the New Jersey State Police were called to Mr. Dobbs home to investigate a report of gunfire. Mr. Dobbs suggested that his family had been singled out because of his views on illegal immigration and border security.
Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, said Wednesday that he is leaving the cable news channel effective immediately.
Sitting before an image of an American flag on his television set, he said “some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day.”
“I’m considering a number of options and directions,” Mr. Dobbs added. A transcript of his remarks is available here.
Jonathan Klein, the president of CNN/U.S. said in a statement that “Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere.”
“All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom,” Mr. Klein said.
Wednesday’s program will be Mr. Dobbs’ last on CNN. His contract was not set to expire until the end of 2011. He told viewers that CNN had agreed to release him from his contract early.
CNN indicated that it would name a replacement for Mr. Dobbs on Thursday morning.
Mr. Dobbs informed his staff members of his intentions in a meeting Wednesday afternoon, catching some of the staffers off-guard.
Well known for his political positions, Mr. Dobbs is an outlier at CNN, which has sought to position itself as a middle ground of sorts in the fractious cable news arena. The CNN employees said Wednesday that they did not know if Mr. Dobbs was moving to another network.
Mr. Dobbs met with Roger Ailes, the chairman of the Fox News Channel, in September. At the time Mr. Dobbs was viewed as a potential hire for the Fox Business Network. But a Fox spokesperson said Wednesday, “We have not had any discussions with Lou Dobbs for Fox News or Fox Business.”
Mr. Dobbs has been with CNN since its founding, save for a two-year stint at a Web site called Space.com. He has evolved over the years from a straight-laced business anchor to an outspoken commentator who rails against illegal immigration and taxpayer bailouts, among other subjects.
Lately, though, he has saved most of his opinions for his afternoon radio show, which made its debut in March 2008. It is on the radio show that he talked repeatedly about the conspiracy theory claims that President Obama is not a United States citizen. When he mentioned the citizenship issue on CNN over the summer, his bosses were forced to call it a “dead issue.”
More recently, Mr. Dobbs’ views on immigration provoked a protest by Hispanic groups. Members of the groups complained that CNN was allowing Mr. Dobbs “to spread lies and misinformation about us each night.”
Wednesday evening, the advocacy group Presente.org, which had called on CNN to fire Mr. Dobbs, declared a “victory.”
“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs — who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos — does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’” Roberto Lovato, a co-founder of Presente.org, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”
Last month the New Jersey State Police were called to Mr. Dobbs home to investigate a report of gunfire. Mr. Dobbs suggested that his family had been singled out because of his views on illegal immigration and border security.
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