Rather to leave CBS Evening News

[DeltAlum]

While this might have gone in "Entertainment," since there was a debate in this forum on Rather and his reporting, I thought it might make more sense here...

Rather to Leave 'CBS Evening News' in March
Anchor Will Stay on as Reporter for '60 Minutes'
By DAVID BAUDER, AP



Dan Rather anchored election night coverage for CBS earlier this month.

NEW YORK (Nov. 23) - Dan Rather, whose nearly 24-year tenure as anchor of the ''CBS Evening News'' was clouded by a recent questionable report on President Bush's National Guard service, said Tuesday he will step down in March.

Rather said his last broadcast as anchor would be March 9, the 24th anniversary of when he assumed the position from Walter Cronkite.

The 73-year-old newsman said he will continue to work for CBS, as a correspondent for both editions of ''60 Minutes.''

''I have always been and remain a 'hard news' investigative reporter at heart,'' he said in a statement. ''I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full time.'

He made no mention of the National Guard story in announcing the change, saying he had agreed with CBS executives last summer to leave sometime after the Nov. 2 election. But he was forced to fight for his professional life after anchoring a September ''60 Minutes Wednesday'' story about Bush's service that turned out to be based on allegedly forged documents.

A report on what went wrong with the National Guard story, from a two-man independent investigative panel, is due imminently.

CBS didn't talk about potential successors. Newsmen John Roberts and Scott Pelley have long been considered in-house candidates, but the network will also probably look outside.

Rather has been with CBS News for more than four decades and made his name as a reporter covering the Nixon White House.

''He has been an eyewitness to the most important events for more than 40 years and played a crucial role in keeping the American public informed about those events and their larger significance,'' CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves said.

Rather's announcement comes eight days before his NBC rival, Tom Brokaw, steps down as ''Nightly News'' anchor and is replaced by Brian Williams.

The triumvirate of Rather, Brokaw and ABC's Peter Jennings has ruled network news for more than two decades. Rather dominated ratings after taking over for Cronkite during the 1980s, but he was eclipsed first by Jennings and then by Brokaw. His evening news broadcast generally runs a distant third in the ratings each week.

His hard news style was mixed with a folksy Texan style that led him to rattle off homespun phrases on Election Night. But odd incidents dogged him: In 1987 he walked off the set, leaving CBS with dead air, to protest a decision to let a tennis match delay the news. And his claim that he was accosted on the street by a strange man saying, ''What's the frequency, Kenneth?'' led rock band R.E.M. to write a song with the same name.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Its about time.

[KSigkid]

I'm not a fan, but it will be strange to see CBS news without him behind the desk. I'm wondering who the successor will be.

[docetboy]

Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead.

Good riddence. Dan Rather and the CBS News Organization has slowly lost all credibility with me, especially during the end of this latest campaign season.

[sigtau305]

It's a shame he's retiring. but, it's better to leave with some of his creditbility intact.

[moe.ron]

Bill Maher on Larry King discussing Dan Rather:

KING: Going to miss Dan Rather?

MAHER: Yes and no. I mean, I defended him on my show when he got into trouble with those memos, and I said it was -- you know, sounded kind of crazy, but on the other hand, those old school guys, you know, we need them. On the other hand, he infuriates me constantly, Dan Rather.

KING: Why?

MAHER: Because he's very conformist. He assumes that we all agree with a certain point of view, and that's not what a newsman should do. He did it last night. There was that story about this admittedly horrible videogame that came out of the Kennedy assassination.

Let the viewer decide if it's horrible. Don't introduce the story, as he did, by saying "a new low in bad taste." He's giving an opinion there. Just present the facts. Let the viewer decide. The viewer can see whether it's a new low in bad taste.

He does it all the time. Why are gas prices unreasonably high? I don't agree that they're unreasonably high. I think we should have gas prices like they do in most of the world, $4 or $5 a gallon. I think the world would be a much better place. We would use less gas, have less pollution, be sending less money to the people who wind up financing terrorism...

KING: So you think he is an opinionated newscaster?

MAHER: Very much so. Even that thing he does at the end of the first segment, which is -- but first, and he gives tribute to some fallen heroes. I agree these people who fight for us in Iraq are our heroes. And I agree they deserve tribute. But not on a newscast. I'm watching that for news. That is not news.