• Bloomberg, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:38 PM

News anchor Lou Dobbs announced he is leaving CNN last night (Nov 11) on his final show. Dobbs, 64, said he is considering his options and will continue to explore issues, including immigration, the economy and the middle class.

The anchor has been a CNN fixture since the 24-hour news channel began operating in 1980, except for a hiatus from 1999 to 2001, when he left to start the Web site space.com. With his show "Lou Dobbs Tonight," he has shifted his focus from business news to economic issues, such as immigration.

Dobbs's ratings have slipped over the years. When he hosted the financial news program "Moneyline," the show's nightly audience in 2003 averaged 921,000, per Nielsen. The next year, when "Lou Dobbs Tonight" began, viewership fell 21% to average 732,000 a night.

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