Thursday, June 15, 2006

Rather useless?

CBS is taking a "new regime" approach to the subject of Dan Rather's future with the network. Just as the old queen is sent into exile when the new king takes over, old Dan is being put out to pasture as CBS clears the way for Katie Couric's ascendancy.

Previous plans for Rather to contribute to 60 Minutes are being scrapped.

The CBS executives hope a dignified exit can be arranged and that Rather can find a second career, perhaps in cable, the sources say. But they also believe that with Couric debuting as anchor in September, the news division needs to move on from the Rather era. And the fallout over his 2004 piece alleging that the Guard had given Bush favorable treatment -- based on documents that the network later acknowledged could not be authenticated -- has been a complicating factor.
[...]
CBS is also trying to attract a younger audience for "60 Minutes," which has been on the air since 1968, and Rather's age is hardly consistent with giving the broadcast a fresher look.
This story reminds me of an interview with Walter Cronkite that I read about ten or fifteen years ago. He was asked for his assessment of the state of network news product which, even then, was from being assailed from some quarters for its shallowness and sensationalism.

Following Cronkite's departure from the Evening News anchor desk, he remained on as an advisor to the news division. In response to the question about news quality, he told the story of a strategy meeting in which he warned news managers against what he perceived as a cheapening of the franchise. He told the interviewer that the managers heard him out politely and then went ahead with their plans. It was not long after that that Cronkite made a complete break with CBS.

It is best for all involved if Rather just announces his retirement from CBS and slips away from the network. It will spare the news division having to let him go. It will spare him the indignity of jockeying for position on a crowded track. Dan Rather's accomplishments are beyond dispute. Nothing can take that away from him. I have no doubt that, as he says, his best work is still ahead of him. He should do it at PBS or on the web. The guard is changing at CBS News. Best to accept it and move on.

2 comments:

billie said...

rather got played real good and apparently got careless. he should have known that the story was too good to be true after he pissed pappa bush off in his one-on-one interview. rather, koppel, lehr- all fine reporters who went after a story and got it. those days are over. government planted stories and propaganda are the norm coming out of corporate media outlets. investigative reporting will have to be done by freelancers on the 'net. unless our 'net is taken away too.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Dan lost his little Chessgame with the second Pres. Bush and should move on - the issue is not who was correct but rather who was smarter (in this case Bush). Time for Dan to gracefully retire, give speeches, write books, etc.

prodan