posted June 16, 2006 04:25 PM            

He had a long career CBS and some would say too long.

Rather out at CBS, sources sayBy Gail Shister
INQUIRER TV COLUMNIST
It's over.

After 44 years, Dan Rather will leave CBS by the end of the month, at the latest, industry sources said Friday. His departure could come as early as next week.

Rather, 74, whose contract runs until late November, is working out the final details of his exit agreement, the sources say.

Money is not an issue, they say. Among the sticking points: Whether Rather will have access to his archival CBS material.

CBS issues its standard non-denial denial: "Dan is a 60 Minutes correspondent, and we don't comment on contractual matters." Rather declined to comment.

Anchor of CBS Evening News for a record 24 years until being forced out in March '05 by the Memogate scandal, Rather was fighting to stay at the network in some "meaningful" capacity. It was clear that the network wanted him gone.

Like virtually all CBS executives, network czar Les Moonves, once a Rather supporter, had distanced himself from the newsman. They had not had a real conversation for more than eight months, newsroom sources say.

Many inside CBS feel that Rather triggered his own demise by vigorously defending his flawed 60 Minutes II report in September '04 that questioned President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, even after the authenticity of the documents used in the piece could not be proved.

Rather later apologized to viewers, but his fate within CBS had been sealed. The only difference: It would take longer for him to leave. Unlike several of his coworkers in the scandal, Rather escaped the noose.

Rather's last 60 Minutes piece, on the Whole Foods empire, ran June 4.

By some miracle, if Rather were to stay on the roster, it's doubtful he would see much airtime, with new Evening News anchor Katie Couric and CNN's Anderson Cooper signing on as part-time contributors.

After having built his reputation by going anywhere in the world for a hot story - especially hurricanes - Rather was turned down last fall when he asked to cover Hurricane Katrina and for trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Instead, Rather paid for his own Middle East trek about two months ago, visiting Doha, Qatar, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates over 10 days "to keep up my sources and contacts," he said in an interview Wednesday.

At CBS, almost every correspondent or executive refused to go on the record about Rather for fear of reprisal. The few who did were restrained, to put it mildly.

"It's a sad story," says outgoing 60 Minutes ace Mike Wallace, 88, a vocal Rather critic in the past.

"He's a good man. He was a wonderful reporter. He remains a wonderful reporter."

Says 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley: "I feel sorry for Dan, because he's not happy.

This isn't what he wanted. I think anybody would like to go out on their own terms. I'm sure he's sorry that didn't happen. I commiserate with him because of that. It's a very, very complicated situation."

Speaking of complicated situations, Bradley just signed a three-year deal after some bumpy negotiations.

"The journey wasn't the easiest, but the destination was wonderful once you got there," says Bradley, a Philly guy and former WDAS jock who joined the newsmagazine in '81. He turns 65 on Thursday.

A former CBS executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the network's treatment of Rather is "disgraceful. He's a legend. He gave his life to that company. Even though he made a big mistake, he did 43 years and 11 months' great work."

An executive at another network says CBS should have had a smash send-off planned for Rather well in advance: "This slow twisting in the wind feels wrong."

A current CBS correspondent labels Rather "the most influential TV reporter since Edward R. Murrow," and says he deserves a graceful exit: "If he leaves through the back door, with no real goodbye, it won't sit well with a lot of people."

The tragedy in the piece, according to some at CBS, is that Rather, for whatever reason, refuses to accept a lesser role that would keep him at the network.

60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt and legendary former anchor Walter Cronkite, both nudged out of their positions, still are under contract and maintain offices at CBS News, though their duty is light.

Rather wants to work hard. If he can't do it at CBS, he'll do it somewhere else.

But no matter where he ends up, Rather will forever be known as a CBS newsman, the correspondent says.