New York ( CNN ) -- CNN 's Lou Dobbs stepped down from his controversial role as an advocacy anchor at the network at the end of his show Wednesday night , saying he plans to seek a more activist role . `` Over the past six months , it has 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 the 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 , '' Dobbs said during his 7 p.m. broadcast . Dobbs , 64 , said he had discussed the issue with CNN President Jonathan Klein , who had agreed to a release from his contract `` that will enable me to pursue new opportunities . '' In a written statement , Klein called Dobbs `` 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 , '' Klein said . `` 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 [ Dobbs ' wife ] , and his family the very best . '' Dobbs , who is the last of the 29-year-old network 's original anchors , said he was considering `` a number of options and directions . '' He cited the growth of the middle class , the creation of jobs , health care , immigration policy , the environment , climate change and the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as `` the major issues of our time . '' But , he said , `` 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 . '' Read Dobbs ' full statement about his departure from CNN . Those issues , he added , are defined in the public arena `` by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous , empirical forethought , analysis and discussion , '' and he vowed to work to change that . In an e-mail to CNN staff members , Klein described the parting as `` extremely amicable , '' and said Dobbs ' replacement would be announced soon . Dobbs was with Cable News Network from its initial broadcasts in 1980 , acting as chief economics correspondent and host of the business program `` Moneyline . '' His coverage of the 1987 stock market crash won him the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting . That was one of many awards he received while at CNN , including an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement that he received from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2005 . Dobbs left the network in 1999 to found SPACE.com , a Web site devoted to space-related subjects . He returned to the network in 2001 as anchor and managing editor of CNN 's Moneyline News Hour , which became Lou Dobbs Tonight . He also acted as lead business news anchor for CNN/U.S . and CNNfn , the forerunner of CNNMoney . During his second stint at CNN , Dobbs positioned himself as `` tough , relentless , independent , '' lashing out at what he described as the deficiencies and `` partisan nonsense '' of both major political parties , and injecting advocacy journalism into his coverage of topics ranging from free trade to immigration . His no-holds-barred , sometimes acerbic style brought him a loyal following , but also attracted controversy both to him and to the network , especially over the subject of illegal immigrants . Dobbs will continue as anchor of The Lou Dobbs Show , a daily radio show that began in March 2008 and is distributed to more than 160 stations nationwide by United Stations Radio Networks Inc .
Dobbs , 64 , said President Jonathan Klein agreed to release him from his contract . The former police officer was arrested in April after he allegedly threatened a woman with a gun and then shot her twice during an argument at the home of his girlfriend on West Street near North Avenue in Dobbs said he was considering `` a number of opportunities and directions '' Dobbs ' no-holds-barred style brought loyal following , but also controversy .