November 23, 200421 yr CNN.com Rather to leave anchor desk in March Tuesday, November 23, 2004 Posted: 12:57 PM EST (1757 GMT) NEW YORK (AP) -- 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 be 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 November 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 did not mention a potential successor for Rather, who has been at CBS 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. A report on what went wrong with the National Guard story, from a two-man independent investigative panel, is due imminently. Rather anchored the story and initially defended it when it was criticized. 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.
November 23, 200421 yr Good. Bye Bye liberal. 620551[/snapback] Oh shut up. I knew people were going to make this story political.
November 23, 200421 yr And the level of integrity at CBS evening news goes WAY WAY up as a result. 620575[/snapback] now they just need to fire the rest of the staff and their credibility will be unmatched.
November 24, 200421 yr I don't see what the big deal is about Dan Rather releasing a story that questioned the integrity of Bush. He refuses to talk about his days in the Texas Air National Guard, and any written information about his service has been kept under wraps. Doesn't any of this make anyone suspicious? I don't blame Dan Rather for getting the story wrong, when you are in journalism you stick with your story as long as you can, even if it is discredited. I sincerely doubt that he purposely had those documents forged for his story. Anyway, at least Kerry served in Vietnam while Bush got to sit at home.
November 24, 200421 yr I don't blame Dan Rather for getting the story wrong, when you are in journalism you stick with your story as long as you can, even if it is discredited. I sincerely doubt that he purposely had those documents forged for his story. 620764[/snapback] Oh I agree 100 percent. Not checking your sources, and as a result using discredited documents for a story against the president just a few weeks before an election is no big deal. :plain
November 24, 200421 yr yeah, now if they could just get Sean Hannity for anchor. 620870[/snapback] Sean: We now go to Chicago for a report on drugs. Reporter: Hi Sean I'm here in Chicago where..... Sean: *points at camera* Stop lying you and your liberal cronies are lying to America! Reporter: What are you talking about? Sean: *pointing at camera* You know what I'm talking about you liberal and so does Bill Clinton you've known it for years! Reporter: *puzzled*
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