Apr 10, 2001 - 04:45 AM

Lou Dobbs Agrees to Return to Anchor CNN's "Moneyline" The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Business news anchor Lou Dobbs has agreed to return to CNN's "Moneyline" in a move the network hopes will boost the once-successful show he started 20 years ago, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Dobbs quit in 1999 after feuding with Rick Kaplan, CNN USA president. Before his departure, Dobbs was considered the leading financial news anchor and "Moneyline" was CNN's most profitable program.

After Dobbs' resignation, the show sank in the ratings behind CNBC's "Business Center." Anchor Stuart Varney, who hosted the program with Willow Bay, resigned in March.

CNN executives said they hoped Dobbs' return will put "Moneyline" and the network back on top after increased competition from the Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNBC. Dobbs is expected to gain an executive-level title to enable him to help guide the network's business coverage, people close to the negotiations told the Times.

An official announcement was planned for Tuesday.

Dobbs, contractually prohibited from working for a television news network other than CNN until next year, had entered into a joint venture with CNBC's parent company, NBC, to write a financial newsletter and to produce business news radio reports.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. It is unclear whether Dobbs will retain his ownership stake in the Internet site, Space.com.

AP-ES-04-10-01 0444EDT © Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

Answers

I saw an ad last night for Money Line, featuring Dobbs. I wondered if someone had made a mistake or if he'd been persuaded back. Good, I like him.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

I like him too. He seems to know what he is talking about. There's one older man, who drives me crazy...he is always talking about the market going up, when he has been proven wrong over and over again.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001