Posted on 06/20/2006 8:00:01 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(CBS) NEW YORK -- Dan Rather is leaving CBS after 44 years with the Tiffany Network.
Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, made the announcement.
"Of all the famous names associated with CBS News, the biggest and brightest on the marquee are Murrow, Cronkite and Rather," McManus said. "With the utmost respect, we mark the extraordinary and singular role Dan has played in writing the script of not only CBS News, but of broadcast journalism."
CBS News is working on a primetime special on the newsman's career. It is scheduled to be broadcast sometime this fall. CBS News also will make a contribution to Rather's alma mater, now called Sam Houston State University.
Rather's contract with the network was scheduled to expire in November, but he was unable to reach agreeement with CBS on a new pact. He had worked as a correspondent for 60 Minutes since stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News last year.
Rather told the New York Times that he is considering an offer from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to do a weekly news program for Cuban's HDNet cable channel.
Rather bid a bittersweet goodbye to the Evening News in March 2005 after 24 years in the anchor chair. He stepped down 24 years to the day after he replaced another CBS News icon: Walter Cronkite.
Bob Schieffer has been the interim anchor since Rather's departure. Katie Couric, who joins the network this summer, will take over the anchor chair in September.
During his long and prolific career with CBS News, Rather has written six books, anchored six presidential election campaigns and covered a dozen wars on five continents.
He has braved hurricanes, waded through flood waters, dodged bullets, comforted wounded GIs, mouthed off to presidents, wept on camera, become a lightning rod for conservatives and been badly beaten by a dangerous maniac on Park Avenue.
A 50-year career in journalism has made Rather a witness to modern American history: the assassination of President Kennedy, the civil rights movement, Watergate, wars in Vietnam and Iraq. The correspondent and anchorman has also interviewed hundreds of world leaders and newsmakers ranging from Mother Teresa to Saddam Hussein.
This road well traveled has been strewn with "Ratherisms," folksy sayings that can make one smile or wince or both. It was Rather who told us that the Florida presidential race was as "hotter than a Times Square Rolex" and who reminded us of the importance of swing states: "It don't mean a thing if they don't get those swings."
Rather's departure from the Evening News was clouded by his high-profile role in a flawed CBS News story about President Bush's National Guard service and some harsh comments from old CBS colleagues, including Cronkite, who suggested Schieffer should have been given the anchor job years ago.
In September 2004, Rather was the correspondent on a "60 Minutes Wednesday" piece that used documents that purported to show Mr. Bush received preferential treatment during his years in the Texas Air National Guard.
The authenticity of the documents was almost immediately questioned, but CBS News and Rather continued to defend the story long after it was broadcast. An independent panel that probed the network's handling of the story concluded CBS News failed to follow basic journalistic principles in the preparation and reporting of the piece.
Rather has repeatedly apologized for his role in the story and expressed regrets about the fate of his colleagues.
Although the Guard story was a low point in Rather's career, it was far from his only brush with controversy. There were well-publicized run-ins with two top Republicans, Richard Nixon and President Bush the elder. And in 2001, he made an embarrassing appearance at a Democratic fundraiser in Texas hosted by his daughter.
These events contributed to Rather's status as a lightning rod for conservative critics who view him as a symbol of what they see as the media's liberal bias.
The Texas-born Rather has always dreamed of a career in journalism. He grew up in Houston, where he began reporting the news for local radio and TV stations.
"We didn't own a TV set, and we didn't know anybody who did," Rather recently told the Texas Monthly. "My dream was to be a byline reporter on either the Houston Chronicle or the Houston Post."
His breakthrough came in 1961, when his daring coverage of Hurricane Carla for KHOU-TV attracted the attention of CBS.
Below are some memorable events in his CBS career:
• 1962: Joins CBS News as chief of the network's Southwest bureau, in Dallas, where it was his job to cover 23 states, Mexico and Central America.
• Nov. 22, 1963: Reports live from the scene of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Not only was CBS the first network on the scene, but Rather was also the first to report Kennedy had died.
• 1964: Promoted to White House correspondent for CBS News.
• 1965: Sent to Vietnam — at his own request — to cover the war.
• 1966: Returns to the U.S. and resumes his role as White House correspondent.
• 1974: His combative style is captured in a memorable moment while exchanging verbal jabs with President Nixon. First, Rather is booed and applauded when he stands to ask Nixon a question. Mr. Nixon turned the question around: "Are you running for something?" "No, sir, Mr. President," Rather shot back. "Are you?" This angers the White Houses. Several CBS affiliates asked for his resignation.
• 1974: Co-wrote a book about Watergate, "The Palace Guard," which became a best-seller. Another book, "The Camera Never Blinks," was published in 1977.
• 1980: Slips into Afghanistan in disguise following the Soviet invasion. The escapade earns him a nickname: "Gunga Dan."
• March 9, 1981: CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite retires, and Rather takes over.
• 1986: Rather is attacked and badly beaten on Park Avenue by a deranged man later convicted of murdering an NBC stagehand. Rather's woozy recollection of his attacker's words, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?," becomes the title of a song by rock band R.E.M.
• 1987: Rather walks off the CBS Evening News set in anger after the network decided to let the U.S. Open tennis tournament run overtime, cutting into the news broadcast. CBS was left with dead air for six minutes.
• Jan. 25, 1988: In an interview with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, Rather presses the future president about his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. A heated exchange follows, with Mr. Bush asking Rather whether he wished to be judged for the tennis walk-off.
• 1990: Is the first American journalist to interview Saddam Hussein after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
• March 31, 1999: Secures an exclusive first sit-down interview with President Clinton following the Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment by the House.
• 2001: Breaks into tears twice while discussing the 9/11 attacks on David Letterman's late-night show a few days after the tragedy.
• Feb. 24, 2003: Gets the most sought-after interview in the world: an exclusive one-on-one with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, the first time the Iraqi leader talks with an American journalist since 1991.
• March 9, 2005: Rather steps down as anchor of the CBS Evening News.
Perhaps the Dixie Chicks have a roadie opening for ol'Dan.
Thanks to BuckHead and a few other FReepers, today's event would not have been possible.
With the utmost contempt, blah, blah.
I can't really express my opinion of Rather on a public forum; he should have been fired years ago after he produced "The Wall Within". CBS was complicit in the fraud and should have had their license revoked at the time. Instead, he was allowed to lie and distort the news for years. I'm glad to see him go and hope that the entire CBS network follows in his footsteps to hell.
Too funny!!!!
Probably the best I have seen all year.
Way to go digger.
"Country Roads, take me home..."
True but I think it's BucketHead. ;-d
Thanks for the correction. None the less, Dan's gone because of BucketHead's detective work. Nice to see the efforts paid off. Ding, dong, the witch is dead!
I adore the Ratherisms!
It was Buckhead, surely. I don't think we have a "Buckethead"
Buckhead, not Buckethead.
cBS should have fired him on the spot. If they had, the world might be a much nicer place now.
Good. One less liar.
Either that or...Nah Nah Nah Nah, Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey, GOODBYE!
And so, we say goodbye to 'Rather poor journalism'.
Thanks. I had it right in my original #22 post. Didn't know if the "H" was uppercase or not. Still, it's great that he had a Rather big part in blather's demise.
Oops, why did I have that ingrained in my mind?
Too many late nights on FR I guess.
Goodby Hell. CBS screwed up. Rather should have been told to remove the personal contents of his desk because be was being fired.
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