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Lou Dobbs Announces On-Air That He’s Leaving CNN After Tonight’s Cablecast

Nov 11, 2009  •  Post A Comment

Lou Dobbs announced on-air tonight that he is leaving CNN "effective immediately" after his show ended.

“Some leaders in the media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and engage in constructive problem-solving,” he said.

He said that he was still figuring out what he would do next.

He said CNN had agreed to release him early from his contract, which had another two years to go.

Most recently Dobbs was in the news when someone shot at his house. No one was hurt.

Dobbs, who has always held strong views, clashed with CNN management earlier this year when he kept insisting that President Obama wasn’t a U.S. citizen.

He also has strong views on the issue of immigration, primarily expressing views that have angered many in the Hispanic community. Dobbs has consistently said that he’s been misunderstood and that his views on immigration are centerist and main stream.

There has been some speculation that Dobbs might jump to Fox News, but earlier this year Fox said that wasn’t happening.#

To see a video of Dobbs’ live on-air resignation,click here.

UPDATE: (4:50 PM, PT) Here is the announcement CNN just released about Dobbs’ surprise resignation:

Lou Dobbs Announces Departure from CNN

After nearly three decades anchoring an evening program on CNN, Lou Dobbs has decided to step away from his CNN anchor desk to focus on his role as a commentator and advocacy journalist on his daily radio talk show, as well as to pursue new avenues to contribute to the national discussion on important social, political and economic issues.

During Wednesday night’s broadcast of Lou Dobbs Tonight, Dobbs offered the following statement:

“Tonight, I want to turn to a personal note if I may and address a matter that has raised some curiosity.

This will be my last broadcast here on CNN, where I have worked for most of the past 30 years and where I have many friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.

I’m the last of the original anchors here on CNN, and am proud to have had the privilege of helping to build the world’s first news network. I am grateful for the many opportunities that CNN has given me over these many years, I’ve tried to reciprocate with the full measure of my ability and my energy.

Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us. And some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.

I’ve talked extensively with Jonathan Klein, Jon’s the president of CNN, and as a result of those talks, Jon and I have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable me to pursue new opportunities.

At this point, I’m considering a number of options and directions and I assure you I will let you know when I set my course.

I truly believe that the major issues of our time include the growth of our middle class, the creation of more jobs, healthcare, immigration policy, the environment, climate change, and our military involvement, of course, in Afghanistan and Iraq. But each of those issues is in my opinion informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C. I believe these to be profoundly critically important issues and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future. Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion. I will be working diligently to change that as best I can. And, as for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in that national conversation.

It has been my great honor to work with each and every person at this wonderful network. I will be eternally grateful to CNN, to Ted Turner, and to all of my colleagues and friends and, of course, to you at home. I thank you and may God bless you.

The news continues for the rest of this hour. I’ll be back right after the break.”

CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement this evening:

“Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we’re grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best.”

LOU DOBBS BACKGROUND:

Lou Dobbs has anchored CNN’s daily program “Lou Dobbs Tonight” since June 2003. Prior to that, he anchored “The Moneyline News Hour with Lou Dobbs,” which he rejoined in May 2001, after a two year absence.

Lou joined CNN at its inception and began anchoring for CNN in New York when the network first launched in 1980. Lou Dobbs was in charge of CNN’s business news programming from 1980-1999 and served on the network’s executive committee from 1989-1999.

Dobbs anchors a nationally syndicated financial news radio report, “The Lou Dobbs Financial Report,” and he is the host of the highly successful national radio program, “The Lou Dobbs Show,” which launched in March 2008. Dobbs’ radio shows have more than 400 affiliates and reach nearly five million people weekly.

Dobbs has won nearly every major award for his work in television news. In 2005, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Dobbs the Emmy for Lifetime Achievement. The previous year, the National Television Academy awarded Lou Dobbs Tonight an Emmy Award for “Exporting America.” He received the George Foster Peabody Award for his coverage of the 1987 stock market crash. In 1990, he was given the Luminary Award by the Business Journalism Review for his “visionary work, which changed the landscape of business journalism in the 1980s.”

Dobbs has written three best-selling books. “Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit” in 2007, “War on the Middle Class” in 2006, and “Exporting America” in 2004. He has also been a columnist for Money Magazine, U.S. News and World Report and the New York Daily News.
Lou Dobbs Tonight features a signature series of ongoing special reports including “Broken Borders (which focuses on border security and illegal immigration), “War on the Middle Class,” “Exporting America,” (which focuses on the outsourcing of American jobs) and “Failing Grades” (which on the crisis in public education.

Dobbs has received the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership in Media Award at the 2004 Albert Schweitzer Leadership Awards Dinner for his commitment to helping high school students seek out, recognize and develop leadership potential. In 1999, he received the Horatio Alger Association Award for Distinguished Americans and, in 2000, the National Space Club Media Award. Dobbs was named “Father of the Year” by the National Father’s Day Committee in 1993.#

–Chuck Ross

80 Comments

  1. Lou
    Best of luck in your future endeavors. With your impressive resume, I’m sure you will find a niche that will allow you to use your talents.
    I do not agree with your opinions and believe your opinions are very subjective and based on your own partisanship rather than objective factual discussion. But that’s just my opinion.
    Good luck.

  2. Sorry to see Mr. Dobbs go, He was the only program I watched on CNN.
    IT IS THEIR LOSS.
    JS

  3. Bad, bad for CNN, a cable net news that is soon to also lose Larry King. The franchise is unraveling and Anderson Cooper can’t do it alone.
    Most people I know mainly watch MSNBC or, others, Fox news. CNN has become too tepid, middle of the road. I will say CNN is excellent on Sunday morning/afternoon.
    You have to really wonder what happened here.

  4. CNN is a disgrace to the USA.
    God bless Lou Dobbs.

  5. We feel Lou Dobbs has been a serious voice for thinking people in this country. He will certainly be missed as an independent person and as a life-line for people rejecting the politically correct talking heads. In all probability, we will not continue our nightly engagement with CNN.

  6. Good riddance to that bigot!

  7. After hearing the surprise announcement this evening, I immediately began to wonder what the true undercurrents in this story are. My second though was the replacement. Who will be Dobb’s replacement? A sickening gut feeling encroached me. Could it be Roland Martin? Lou, please say it isn’t so!

  8. Lou best of luck in your new persuit.I think you should consider running for president of this formerly great nation.

  9. Lou is absolutely partisan. And he left CNN years ago to do something else. There won’t be any coming home this go round.
    Should be interesting to see what, if anything he does in politics as the Republicans are trying to regroup and the Blue Dog Dems are ticked off.
    Do remember, he has his radio program as his bully pulpit. Now what are your best guesses about his replacement?
    MSNBC tonight joked it could be Sarah Palin touting her five chapter book with no index:)

  10. I hope Lou Dobbs good luck!
    I knew this was coming, because the terrible change of America,because of this illegal immigration nasty advocates, it seemed every time Lou spoke of the illegal immigration in America, about how so unfair it was, many silly people had gotten a wedge in their butts about this,that is all because they did not want any kind of interference with what they are trying to accomplish with illegal immigration in America. Lou knew that many people want to just give America to illegal immigrants,regardless of all their illegal status, and all their wrongdoings in America! America needs more media, television networks that would speak up more about the unfairness about illegal immigration in America, more media who will fight against illegal immigration in America. all of what Lou Dobbs had said so for about illegal immigration in America has been the truth, and the truth will hurt many people, when it comes to illegal immigration in America, suddenly there should be no more freedom of speech in America! all because of illegal immigrants getting what they want!
    Americans are so force to watch illegal immigration change our constitution, our laws, rules, and regulations for their own purposes, and suddenly this is allowed, we are being so force to just watch illegal immigration just take over, to watch them just implement
    all their wrongdoings, and just win America just like that, we are so force to watch them just use our American birthrights which is a wide open door to them, to just have their children by the millions any time that they want, getting them granted automatic citizenship,which to me is a sneaky amnesty for their children in America, it also are their way to over populate them selves, it is sad to know and see that our own American politicians see no wrong that illegal immigrants do in America, so they tend to allow all their compassion for illegal immigrants in America get in the way of the law,for all of this, we have very weak politicians, no longer strong politicians, rather they know it or not they are ruining America, and at the same time they are really hurting their own American citizens! bad enough these very same politicians are allow illegal immigrants and all their advocates to just spit and walk all over American citizens!So this means that all our immigration law enforcement are lost, or gone.
    So now Americans are forced to endure America turn in to a new Mexico in America, because our own politicians are giving it to Mexico on a silver platter, America must be prepare for this new change and disaster!
    I guess Glen Beck is next! How can we get Lou Dobbs back?????

  11. Violet apparently has never visited Ellis Island and learned what others know-most immigrants to this country prior to WW I were arriving on our shores as illegals without papers.
    We did not have an INS until the middle of the last Century, and could not & did not process immigrants until they arrived on our shores.
    If we did that now, the so-called 12 million illegals would apply for residency, bring their families and contribute to our economy!!
    Wake up and realize that our Social Security System was set up to rely on continuing our “Open Immigration” policy whom we need to continue its funding.
    They may not look like us{europeans] but we need them to pay for our retirement. Wake Up America!!!!!!

  12. Lou was the only one in the news media that I believe told it as it is.
    The loss of him will cost CNN loss of market share. You have lost my family and everyone I have contact with.
    One unhappy ex-CNN viewer.
    Bob Wintringham

  13. Lou
    Thank you for your forthrightness, honesty, and taking on the controversial issues of the day. I wish you lots of luck and will look forward to seeing you soon on the air again.

  14. lou, it is way past time for you to go….bigot! i think that it is nice though that your bigoted admirers wish you well. well, i don’t. good-by and hopefully you will go to hell.
    john

  15. Amen!

  16. Lou we will miss you!
    you spoke about issues in America that needed to be addressd!!You never gave up topics that other people did not want to talk about!This is sad it has come to this…..

  17. lou dobbs the only snn reprter il watch the rest total left wingers which i disagree with 98% of there opions. Dobbs a true news legend should goto fox news hed go well with bill oreily and glenn beck.

  18. Lou’s leaving voluntarily or otherwise demonstrates the huge decline America is suffering through.
    He was one of the last who spoke the truth,period.
    This country no longer has freedom of speach unless you are on the wrong side and a minority, we are slowly but surely losing what this once great country was founded on.
    We are a nation in decline.

  19. Good luck–stick with Fox and we can continue to enjoy CNN

  20. good luck lou, I only hope you get into politics, and try to help out this country. because there is no one in Washington,thats going to do it. they just want to bail out the ceo’s and wall st. and forget the taxpayers. good luck again.

  21. good luck lou, I only hope you get into politics, and try to help out this country. because there is no one in Washington,thats going to do it. they just want to bail out the ceo’s and wall st. and forget the taxpayers. good luck again.

  22. Please–lets not replace Lou with Roland Martin–he ia a racist and expremely opinionated

  23. There goes freedem of speech unless your black or middle eastern.Whats wroung with cnn cant they see the writing on the wall?Whos next?,and whats next jail? the ones trying to bring truthfullness and patriotism to the people won`t be safe. I will be cancelling cnn and going to fox till they force them off air.Good luck lou.CNN is no longer worth watching.

  24. calling someone a biggot is the easy way out

  25. calling someone a biggot is the easy way out

  26. If Lou Dobbs leaving CNN is indeed his idea, then God Bless him and best of luck. However, if he was forced out due to his straight forward and honest reporting of the news, then CNN will soon realize that Lou Dobbs was one of the few commentators on CNN who offered a balanced analysis. I have not been a CNN fan but my respect for the network was largely due to Lou Dobbs. CNN will miss him and his loyal following.

  27. I feel for Mary — for she must be that one in the Bible with the middle name that starts with an M. Her main problem is she doesn’t know waht objective means.
    She expressed her so called objective which I don’t agree with. She needs many well wishers, and I for one will wish her well.
    As for station Editors, CEO management — Well you are losing me along with Lou. He had it right, and you like Mary have it worng. This is my time and objective to let you know that when you try and make your reporters in your image as you have with Anderson, then it is time for viewers to look elsewhere. —
    GOD BLESS LOU DOBBS for not doing your bidding. — With him will go those who have the balls to stand up against the type of reporting you want.
    This to is my opinion, just as Mary said: it was her opinion. — So one for, and one against. — I’m sure Mary is very young and hasn’t lived a life time yet. — But when she does; Then and only then will she have the smarts to look else where.
    Good Luck Lou — Always stay Semper FI.

  28. Lou,
    Thanks for your insightful views of America. We will miss you. Time will tell if you left because CNN management couldn’t deal with your views. It looks like once again the liberal media couldn’t handle straight talk. Its interesting how 13 Americans get Killed by a terrorist at Fort Hood and how this could have been prevented if the media wasn’t so politically correct. As a matter of fact, Political correctness killed those Americans and not the terrorist.

  29. Mr. Dobbs, you will be missed for your “telling it like it is”. Keep up the good work where ever you go. America needs more people like you.

  30. It scares me to think what is coming next. Every one was scitical of Bush’s administration.. at least they did not have to go underground to do so.. it seems every one has the right to say anything now.. as long as this “anything” is in line with what obama administration wants you to say.. where are we going?

  31. I too wish Lou all the best and am sad that special interest groups and corp
    america seems to run this country! Well
    we are not to silenced! We will fight
    all the representatives that have failed
    us. Greed seems to be the God that companies worship and free speech is something that illegals want to eliminate. So CNN isn’t the progressive that we thought! Good luck Lou and where ever you are I will be watching!

  32. I can’t believe that some of you are calling a bigot when he questions why our laws aren’t respected by illegals.
    What my friend is honorable about sneaking into our country and stealing
    identity? The immigrants who came here in the past came through the front door with heads held high. They learned our laws and our language and certainly didn’t wave their mother country’s flag in our face and demand anything. They were just grateful to be here. That is the difference! So don’t call Lou names because you break our laws and want to take our rights away for your personal gain and try to make law abiding citizens the heavy. God bless Lou Dobbs

  33. lou…thank god,you’re leaving…”BYE”!

  34. L.
    I chuckled when I read your comment. Campbell Brown’s maternity leave seemed like “forever”. Actually, that was when I started watching FOX news. The only two shows I watched on CNN were Lou Dobb and Anderson Cooper. Now that Lou is gone, it will be a hard decision – Greta or Anderson.
    Lou, I’m really going to miss your show. Best of luck!!!

  35. Yes, a lot of immigrants cam through Ellis Island. But the US government did not have the entitlement programs they have today subsidized by taxpayers. We didn’t have welfard, food stamps, subsidized housing. And now the government wants to add health care as well.
    Sorry, we need to have controlled immigration.

  36. well its over dobbs is gone . listening to lou dobbs was llike going to the dentist

  37. My first reaction when I read he was leaving – right on. I hold no opinion of Mr. Dobbs personally, but the only time I get to watch t.v. is while he’s on and I watch CNN because it is balanced news. Neither right nor left. However Mr. Dobbs is anything but balanced. I’m so very happy that my limited t.v. time can now be spent watching real news instead of reruns of NCIS (not that I mind those reruns, mind you). I could stomach about 2 minutes of Mr. Dobbs.
    Having said that, I wish him all the best. I’m just glad he is not longer on my news station of choice.
    V.L.

  38. My first reaction when I read he was leaving – right on. I hold no opinion of Mr. Dobbs personally, but the only time I get to watch t.v. is while he’s on and I watch CNN because it is balanced news. Neither right nor left. However Mr. Dobbs is anything but balanced. I’m so very happy that my limited t.v. time can now be spent watching real news instead of reruns of NCIS (not that I mind those reruns, mind you). I could stomach about 2 minutes of Mr. Dobbs.
    Having said that, I wish him all the best. I’m just glad he is no longer on my news station of choice.
    V.L.

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