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.
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