Rather Stepping Down.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

I guess this matters to some folks. Maybe CBS will hire a more conservative teleprompter reader. I nominate Rush Limbaugh:

Rather to Step Down in March
'CBS Evening News' Anchor to Leave on 24th Anniversary

By David Bauder
The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 23, 2004; 12:47 PM

NEW YORK - 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 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.

© 2004 The Associated Press

[Pete C]

How about Ashcroft?

[Darryl G. Thomas]

He's not telegenic enough.

[Enforcer]

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

Though the above scans better and is thus more suitable for songstuff, the original phrase (at least to the extent Rather's addled brain processed it) was, "Kenneth, what's the frequency?" Maybe it's just me, but I find the actual word-order to possess a more menacing air.

Courage.

[Chris D]

Sam Donaldson called this! Of course, he said Dan would step down when I interviewed him: 24 years ago....

easy pick: Jon Stewart

[Enforcer]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Though the above scans better and is thus more suitable for songstuff, the original phrase (at least to the extent Rather's addled brain processed it) was, "Kenneth, what's the frequency?" Maybe it's just me, but I find the actual word-order to possess a more menacing air.

Courage.

I knew you were gonna call me out on this, Brian. I struggled for hours with which version to use, but I knew I'd lose either way.

Having said that, has anyone besides Rather verified that anything was said at all? Or that the attack even happened the way he said it did? I've always wondered if he made that whole thing up.

[james harrigan]

I don't remember the details, but I believe they eventually found the guy who assaulted Rather. I seem to recall that he was a nut who thought that CBS was transmitting mind-control waves directly into his brain, hence "what is the frequency?". Why he called Dan Kenneth, I don't know.

edit: here's an explanation of the whole thing.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Though the above scans better and is thus more suitable for songstuff, the original phrase (at least to the extent Rather's addled brain processed it) was, "Kenneth, what's the frequency?" Maybe it's just me, but I find the actual word-order to possess a more menacing air.

Courage.

Brian, you're a dork.

You're a dork, Brian.

Yeah, I see what you mean.

[Brian Olewnick]

See, I thought I was onto something.

[lynn]

I'd have to say that the Neo-rightwing-conservatives are going to have one bad ass investigative journalist coming after them. Could make for an interesting 4 years.

Originally Posted by lynn

I'd have to say that the Neo-rightwing-conservatives are going to have one bad ass investigative journalist coming after them. Could make for an interesting 4 years.

Hahahahaha.............................oh yeah, he's real scary.

"These documents have just come across my desk that............."

Originally Posted by james harrigan

edit: here's an explanation of the whole thing.

Hmmmm...........

According to the psychiatrist, Tager, who was currently serving time for killing an NBC stagehand, blamed news media for beaming signals into his head

Originally Posted by Michael Stipe

It's a misunderstanding that was scarily random

Perhaps Stipe isn't the sturdiest board on the deck. This doesn't seem "random" at all.

[GoodSpeak]

Rather Stepping Down.

Well...so much for that "Liberal Media" crap, eh?

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Darryl G. Thomas

I guess this matters to some folks. Maybe CBS will hire a more conservative teleprompter reader. I nominate Rush Limbaugh:

Liberal or conservative, CBS should hire a competent news reader as an anchor. Not only that, it should be someone who doesn't believe the ends justify the means.

Rather fails both tests.

[Monte Smith]

Here's an idea: don't hire a new anchor. Don't lavish millions on some face with a name.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Here's an idea: don't hire a new anchor. Don't lavish millions on some face with a name.

Originally Posted by Ratherbiased.com

While he would have preferred to retire after his 25th anniversary as anchor, the scuttlebutt inside CBS had Rather stepping down soon after the 2004 elections due to a combination of bad ratings, long-time affiliate discontent, and viewer dissatisfaction over CBS's 'Memogate' story.

Frankly, it's a shame that it has to end this way for Dan. In the end, he became the person he most despised, Richard Nixon. Had Rather and the CBS management been more serious about viewer input and fairness, they would never have had to stonewall about a story they shouldn't have run.

Here's a breaking story on Rather from Scrappleface.

Originally Posted by Scrappleface

Dan Rather Scrambles to Confirm Story of His Resignation

(2004-11-23) -- Veteran CBS News anchor Dan Rather this afternoon said he was "scrambling like a gila monster on hot sand" to verify allegations that he will step down from his role on the CBS Evening News in March 2005.

"If this is true, I want to break this story," said Mr. Rather as he rushed from his office to track down a hot tip on the story. "I received a fax from a Kinko's in Texas indicating that I'm relinquishing the anchor desk, but we need to run this past several handwriting experts and get it fully vetted before we break into programming with the announcement."

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Here's a breaking story on Rather from Scrappleface.

Hahaha! That was good.

Courage!

[Henry Mars]

Snoop Dog would make an excellent anchor for CBS. Anchors gone wild.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Henry Mars

Snoop Dog would make an excellent anchor for CBS.

He would, you know:

"And that's Tuesday night's nizzooz, byatch. Now I'm up outta this muthafucka for real."

werd

[Monte Smith]

The most trustedest name in broadkizzast news, yo. Don't even talk to me about Peter Jennings.

[crawjo]

Of the three big anchors, I always liked Rather the most. He's biased as hell, of course, but I always liked his expressions and mannerisms, and found him the easiest to listen to.

[Gordon B]

John Ellis has a dim view of CBS and Rather. I think his points are well taken.

Originally Posted by Johnellis.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Dan Rather, Investigative Reporter

Dan Rather was fired today by Viacom; which is to say that he announced that he would step down as the anchor of the CBS Evening News on March 24, 2005. Evidently, the price of removing him as anchorman of the CBS Evening News was to rehire him as a correspondent for "Sixty Minutes The Second."

It was on Sixty Minutes The Second two months ago that Mr. Rather "reported" a largely fictional tale of President Bush's service in the Air National Guard, a tale based on patently bogus documents. Long after everyone else on the planet realized the documents were fraudulent, Mr. Rather continued to insist that they were true.

Andrew Sullivan asks: how can CBS News return Rather to "Sixty Minutes The Second" without first reading the report of the independent commission tasked to investigate the Bush-National Guard fiasco? Wouldn't that report inform what role Rather might be asked to play at CBS News (and at Sixty Minutes The Second in particular) in the future? Might not that report suggest that Rather be fired for cause?

Sullivan's questions are rhetorical. He understands that the whole thing is a lame, PR shuck. But today's charade does say something about the character of the organization. They fire someone who committed journalistic fraud. They then say that said fraud is a minor matter, that it shouldn't color one's perception of Mr. Rather or CBS News. And they then give the perpetrator of this fraud a job that rightfully should go to anyone but him.

The notion that Mr. Rather's active involvement in perpetrating journalistic fraud should not "diminish" his "long and distinguished" career (which seems to be the MSM's view of all this) is deranged. Of course it should and of course it does. But it's not really about him, it's about what to do about him. What was revealed today was the more interesting story; one of empty suits and the stewardship of decline.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by crawjo

Of the three big anchors, I always liked Rather the most.

Of the three big anchors, I thought they all had their jobs for twenty years too long and were a monopoly on public speech.

Sam Donaldson stomps everyone's ass!

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Of the three big anchors, I thought they all had their jobs for twenty years too long and were a monopoly on public speech.

There is no monopoly on public speech, especially now with the Internet. There is a monopoly of the airwaves, but that has little to do with Rather, Brokaw, or Jennings.

[Ron Thorne]

While I've had varying degrees of respect for Brokaw, Jennings and Rather, I've always migrated toward Tom Brokaw for various reasons, including his respect and appreciation for fly fishing (in particular), the environment (in general) and WWII vets. Dan Rather has always struck me as an odd, goofy mixture, which couldn't necessarily be trusted by any particular leaning. Peter Jennings is a mystery to me, mostly, though I don't dislike him.

I have no idea as to whether any of the above will make sense to anyone, especially me, tomorrow, but there you have it ... a simplistic view of three high-profile professional American broadcasters. Things are changing at a rapid rate, never to return to the "olden days" of television news, pre-cable.

[BFrank]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

While I've had varying degrees of respect for Brokaw, Jennings and Rather, I've always migrated toward Tom Brokaw for various reasons, including his respect and appreciation for fly fishing (in particular), the environment (in general) and WWII vets. Dan Rather has always struck me as an odd, goofy mixture, which couldn't necessarily be trusted by any particular leaning. Peter Jennings is a mystery to me, mostly, though I don't dislike him.

I know what you mean, Ron. Even though I don't watch the network news anymore, those would be my basic impressions of each one, too.