"It's being discussed," a CNN exec told the Daily News, which added that the move would not take place until after the November elections. Nor has any specific prime-time spot been decided upon, a CNN source told Furman.

"With the presidential election less than a month away, it's silly to speculate on programming changes," CNN spokesman Matthew Furman told the News.

A jewel in CNN's otherwise lackluster lineup, Dobbs has hit home with his vocal crusade against U.S. companies outsourcing U.S. jobs overseas.

Since the beginning of the summer, ratings for "Lou Dobbs Tonight" have surged 25 percent, to 472,000 households, and Dobbs is outpacing CNN overall, which is up 13 percent, the News revealed. As a result, ad rates for his show are among CNN's highest.

"He's the most familiar financial news personality on television," Horizon Media director of research Brad Adgate told Furman.

But moving Dobbs from his 6 p.m. spot at the end of the business day could be risky, Tom Rosentiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, told the News. "The prime-time audience has a different mind-set."

Moreover, Dobbs, who refuses to comment on the matter, may not be interested in any move from his current spot, CNN insiders told the News.

Editor's note: