posted November 23, 2004 01:22 PM
After 40 years of misreporting, selectively reporting and downright lying about the news, Dan Rather is out at CBS News as an anchor.Rather is following in the footsteps of Tom Brokaw who is retiring and who is the most objective of the troika of Rather, Jennings and Brokaw...also the most trusted and most watched, Brokaw that is.
Now, if someone can persuade Jenning to retire to Canada, the long overdue housecleaning at the major networks will be complete.
Viacom stock, (VIA)is up on a day when the Dow Jones Industrials are down almost 50 points,
Updated: 12:31 PM EST
Rather to Leave CBS News in March
By DAVID BAUDER, AP
NEW YORK (Nov. 23)
Dan Rather, embattled anchor of the ''CBS Evening News,'' announced Tuesday that he will step down in March, on the 24th anniversary of taking over the job from Walter Cronkite.
The veteran anchor has been under fire in recent months for his role in a ''60 Minutes Wednesday'' story that questioned President Bush's service in the National Guard, which turned out to based on allegedly forged documents.
Rather, 73, said he will continue to work for CBS, as a correspondent for both editions of ''60 Minutes.''
He made no mention of the National Guard story in announcing the change, saying he had agreed with CBS executives last summer that after the Nov. 2 election would be the right time to leave.
''I have always been and remain a 'hard news' investigative reporter at heart,'' he said. ''I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full time.''
CBS made no mention of a potential successor.
Rather has worked at CBS News for more than 40 years and made his name as a reporter covering the Nixon White House. His nearly quarter-century at the helm of the ''CBS Evening News'' is the longest at the helm of any network evening broadcast.