2 MONTHS AFTER STROKE, DORFMAN FILES OFF-CAMERA REPORT FOR CNBC.

Byline: Farrell Kramer Associated Press 

CNBC financial commentator Dan Dorfman filed his first report Monday since suffering a mild stroke in May, but his words were read by an anchor, and he did not appear on air.

Dorfman, 65, is recovering at home and undergoing physical therapy, said Philip Recchia, a spokesman for the cable network.

``When that therapy's complete, the plan is that he'll return to CNBC in the same capacity as before,'' Recchia said. ``In the meantime, when news arises he'll file stories off camera as he did today.''

Dorfman has been a controversial figure over the years, moving markets with his raspy-voiced commentaries and, most recently, generating a swirl of controversy over his choice of news sources and other matters.

He was fired Jan. 1 from a $450,000-a-year columnist's job at Money magazine after refusing to reveal confidential sources to his editor. He had been suspended in October 1995 after a news report said he was the target of a federal investigation for his relationship with a stock promoter.

Other reports early this year said the investigation had been widened to include questions about whether Dorfman had profited from his commentaries by trading on them or tipping others in exchange for favors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn have never confirmed or denied the reports and no charges have been filed.

Dorfman always has denied he did anything wrong.

Since 1990, Dorfman has been a well-known figure to financial TV viewers, practicing his trade with ``The Dorfman Report.'' The minutes-long segment is aired by CNBC first at midday, then repeated or redone several times during the day.

But Dorfman's May 7 stroke, described when it was first announced May 9 and again Monday as mild, landed him in the hospital, and his commentary had not been seen since.

``The Dorfman Report'' seen Monday was not the normal commentary. CNBC used the report's logo on the air, but an anchor read the news. It was shown shortly after the stock market's 4 p.m. close.

Recchia spoke with Dorfman about his condition Monday after being contacted by the Associated Press.

`` `I'm feeling terrific and haven't for one second stopped being a newsman,' Dan told me today,'' Recchia said. The spokesman said Dorfman is making ``excellent progress toward a full recovery.''

Dorfman's report Monday dealt with noted investor George Soros. It said Soros had tried to get turnaround specialist Al Dunlap to become CEO of WMX Technologies, in which Soros holds a stake. The effort failed. Last week, Sunbeam announced Dunlap had agreed to become its chief executive.

The report cited no sources. It said a Soros spokesman had declined to comment and WMX had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

Dorfman's career began in print journalism, covering the retail business for Women's Wear Daily, a trade newspaper. He wrote the ``Heard On The Street'' stock column for The Wall Street Journal in the 1960s and also has written for New York magazine and Esquire.

Dorfman wrote a column for USA Today and Gannett News Service for eight years before moving to Money magazine. His broadcast career started on CNN, where he did a daily report on Wall Street after the markets closed.

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Photo

Photo: Dan Dorfman

Will return after therapy