Steve Friedman, head of CBS's morning news broadcasts, says he reached out to Dobbs after ABC announced in January that it had signed CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck as a contributor to Good Morning America.
"I basically said, 'I wonder if Lou Dobbs would be interested?' " Friedman says. "Lou and I have known each other for years. They talked to us. We talked to them. We made the deal."
While there's no corporate synergy here - Time Warner owns CNN, Viacom pulls the strings at CBS - Dobbs' crossover is not without precedent. CNN poster boy Anderson Cooper does at least five pieces a year for CBS's 60 Minutes.
Ever the statesman, Friedman can't resist taking a shot at No. 2 GMA and Beck, who has yet to make an appearance since his Jan. 9 hiring, according to an ABC rep.
"I don't believe in amorphous signings," Friedman says. "If you're in the family, you can't come on occasionally. You have to have a regular spot."
Says ABC's equally politic Jeffrey Schneider: "I don't believe in punching down to engage the head of the third- place morning show."
Dobbs says his Tuesday commentaries will be at least a minute in length, followed by chats with quarteranchors Harry Smith, Hannah Storm, Julie Chen and Russ Mitchell. (Note to CBS: Rene Syler, who got the boot Dec. 1, is still listed as a coanchor on your Web site.)
Friedman doesn't expect Dobbs to be all-immigration- all-the-time.
"We want a wide, varied Lou. He can talk about money, politics and other issues. Quite frankly, now that we're into 14-year presidential campaigns, he can talk about that, too."
For Friedman, it's a win-win for both sides.
"We're his morning job. His night job remains the same. He gets to look at a new audience. We get to use his persona to attract a new audience. He's great TV."
