Lou Dobbs, anchor and managing editor of CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” is launching a new daily radio talker today through the United Stations Radio Networks: “The Lou Dobbs Show.” The program airs from 3-6pm ET and the on the internet via www.loudobbsradio.com. On both his television and radio programs, Lou labels himself as an “independent populist,” crusading for our middle class. There’s a lot wrong with our country today and his mission is to inform folks about the problems-and help with the solutions. Numerous guests and experts in the political, media and military/government arenas are brought in to help.
Dobbs also airs “The Lou Dobbs Financial Report,” via United Stations-a one-minute vignette on the latest financial news, three times daily on over 150 affiliates.
He writes a weekly commentary on CNN.com. In addition to his current book, “Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit,” he is also the author of the New York Times bestseller “War on the Middle Class,” the best-selling book “Exporting America” and co-author of “Space.”
Dobbs has won nearly every major award for television journalism. 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.”
In 2004, Dobbs received The Man of the Year Award from The Organization for the Rights of American Workers and the George J. Kourpias Excellence in Journalism Award from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for his contributions to the national debate on jobs, global trade and outsourcing. Dobbs was also presented with the Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration from the Center for Immigration Studies for his ongoing series “Broken Borders,” which examines U.S. policy towards illegal immigration.
He also 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. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics.
Here, we asked Dobbs about his new radio show, along with a bit about his outspoken views on the government and economy-once thought of as “independent,” but being embraced by more and more Americans each day.
What’s the theme of the show?
If we had to attach one theme to the show it would be it’s critical that we all be independent thinking and acting Americans. As I said we’re going to try to provide a home for listeners who don’t buy into all of the blather coming out of Washington and who want to examine critically the issues that working men and women and their families face everyday in this country.
What are you going to be bringing to the affiliates? Anything they should know that you or the show might be providing above and beyond the typical radio show?
We’re going to work very closely with all of the affiliates. I’m a product of radio. I started at a 500-watt station in Yuma, Arizona more than three decades ago.
I love radio. I love broadcasting and we’re going to do everything we can to work with our affiliate partners and to help them in any way.
What are the biggest issues on the table right now you will focus on for the radio show?
We have so many challenges facing us but the number one issue in this country is this failure of our elected officials to represent their constituents. The middle class of this country is simply not being represented in Washington, DC. The fundamental tenet of any democracy is rule of the majority. This government is not working as a democracy because the majority in this county no longer has the voice in Washington.
What demographics does your show appeal to most and why?
Our experience on television has been that we have a very strong 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 audience. It breaks a lot more male than female certainly. I personally want this program to appeal to everyone who is reasonable, who is tired of partisan nonsense and who really wants to look at the world without a filter that is ideological or partisan. The reality is independent and it’s non-partisan and we’re going to go after those folks who want to think independently and critically.
What do you think about the show gaining some of the younger demos for your message?
I’m not smart enough to tell you to whom we will ultimately appeal. I can tell you we’re going to work very hard to bring exactly the same message on radio as I have on television. And that is independence, critical judgment and honest examination of the issues without a partisan broker from either the left or the right.
You talked about the station in Yuma, how much radio have you done in your life?
Well I did occasional work in Seattle and of course I’ve been working with United Stations for the past nine years now.
Tell us about “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on CNN. What changes did you make over time with that show and how did those changes make the show so hot right now and so resonant with viewers?
Well after September 11th and the corporate corruption scandals of 2001 and 2002 I just felt compelled to speak out very directly on issues I believe were extraordinarily important to Americans, which were being ignored by others in the national media. In so doing, I changed the direction of the show and we formalized that in 2003 by putting my opinion throughout the broadcast. Obviously it has resonated with our audience and that’s how it began.
How will this translate over to radio?
Irrespective of the medium-whether I’m writing books, on television or radio, or writing my column, I’m the same fellow addressing issues in precisely the same way in every instance. With me you get exactly what you would expect. I’m straightforward, I have no partisan or ideological orthodoxies to serve and I’m interested in one thing and one thing only and that’s the well being of this country and its people. And neither Democrats, Republicans, Liberals nor Conservatives have a monopoly on the best ideas and views towards the future. I think that is truly the strength of independence at this point in our history.
You talked about the government’s inability or maybe unwillingness to serve the American people–that’s a hot button issue. Tell us about some of your other hot button issues.
The issues of sovereignty, the issues of investment in this country in all forms and in our people in all forms are obviously very important to me and to my audience. The issues of so-called “free trade” that have cost millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in trade debt for this country. The failure of public education in this country and the absolute critical and urgent need we have to repair our broken public education system. Border security, illegal immigration–all of these issues cry out for urgent attention on the part of government. The fact that consumers can’t even count on the safety of the imports that are being brought into this country–whether they’re toys or food or dog food, for crying out loud. Those are among the most critical issues.
The reality is that both political parties over the past 30 years have governed poorly and the American people have permitted the Republicans, the Democrats to continue along a path that is demonstrably unwise for the country. We’ve now had 31 consecutive years of trade deficits, yet people of both parties continue to say they’re free traders at any cost. The American people can’t bear this cost much longer.
Not unless they want to work for $.50 an hour.
Exactly. And we have to just simply step back and examine what in the world is going on. These orthodoxies that have grown up in academia and media and corporate America have really got to be challenged and understood. My audience demands that kind of analysis from me and expects it and that’s where we’re going to head.
Of all the original candidates, who would be your top pick for President in ’08 and why?
Because I’m an Independent Populist I don’t have a dog in this hunt. Carl, there isn’t a single one of these candidates that would be my first choice. And the reason I would not support any of these candidates is very simple. They’re all creatures of the partisan parties that have gotten us into this mess. And their ideas are as out of date as possible. People have to break away from those orthodoxies. For a society of 300 million people we ought to do far better than this.
The American public seems to be trusting mainstream media less and less these days. You’re considered by many as sincere and really don’t fit the mainstream label. How are you given so much free reign on your “independent” opinions?
First of all I am a known quality and quantity at CNN. I’ve been there since the very beginning. My management has extraordinary confidence in me and I reciprocate. We’ve got a great relationship and even though I’m sharply criticizing corporate America and at the same time an employee of corporate America, that tells you a great deal about the integrity of our management. That’s the first issue and the second is I’m one of those people who has spent a great deal of time researching these issues, covering these stories, the events of the past 30 years and I do have the advantage of knowing what I’m talking about.
CNN is sort of standing out a little bit and allowing someone to voice the issues that are important.
Right. And people trust me because they know that first and foremost I’m truly an Independent voice. I’m not in any way ideological or partisan. I’m concerned about the American people and this country.
The bottom line on the economy–we’ve got a weakening dollar. We’ve got a mortgage crisis. We’ve got a banking crisis. Oil has gone above $100.00. The stock market is all over the map. What can we expect down the road a little bit? What should we be getting ready for and what may be happening here in 2008/2009 if something doesn’t happen to sort of settle things down?
First and foremost all of the issues you’ve just outlined represent one massive shortcoming in this economy-and that’s the failure of leadership. Our corporate leaders are failing in terms of the business practices they’re pursuing. The competitiveness of our producers and service industries is now highly suspect. Our economic leadership in Washington, DC is simply nowhere to be detected. We have a Treasury Secretary telling the Chinese how they should run their economy–making numerous trips to Beijing and telling them what the United States would like them to do with their economy–while we should in my judgment be asking them how to run ours. We are the ones with a massive national debt of nine trillion dollars, but we’re the ones with the dollar at historic lows against the Euro and falling further against most major currencies. For this administration to continue what it’s done, that’s just an absurdly shallow and myopic economic approach. It is to me absurd and inexplicable. What should we expect? I think unless we have a significant awakening on the part of corporate America (and by the way I remain hopeful that we will see that in the next six to 12 months) and the sense of urgency on the part of government we’re going to face an even more severe housing crisis and credit market crisis. That’s unacceptable because that will create even greater pain for literally tens of millions of Americans.
Does the “D” word come to mind?
No, I think we’re talking about the prospect of a very severe recession. It’s still avoidable, but I think only barely. We must have urgent action and no more of these public relations stunts that have been meant to sort of plaster over the very real, very serious problems.
Anything else that you would like to say?
The only thing I would say is I remain fundamentally optimistic about the country’s future but that does not mean in any way that any of us should suspend our critical judgment of the political candidates of those who are representing us in Washington.
So, the heat should be turned on more now than ever?
You got it.
