Dan Rather: Suit Against CBS Was Worth It
NEW YORK (AP) — Retired CBS anchorman Dan Rather says his lawsuit against his former network was worth it, even though the $70 million breach-of-conduct case was rejected by New York courts.
In his new book, “Rather Outspoken,” he said the case forced some of the “ugly truths” about CBS into the open. The longtime CBS newsman left the network acrimoniously after a discredited 2004 report about President George W. Bush’s military service.
Rather’s book is due out Monday. A copy was purchased Tuesday by The Associated Press.
Rather wrote that the lawsuit “took a big whack out of my time, my psyche and my bank balance, but even so, it was worth it.”
He said his wife, Jean, had even advised against suing. She thought it wouldn’t be prudent but agreed to support him no matter what he did.
Although questions were raised about the legitimacy of documents supporting the report made during Bush’s re-election campaign, Rather has said he still believes the story was true.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
In his book, Rather describes being iced out of CBS during the 15-month period after he left as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” and finally left the network altogether in June 2006. He was working for “60 Minutes” during that period but said he constantly saw his stories criticized and ideas rejected.
“It was clear to everyone but me that I was being erased,” Rather wrote. “Nevertheless, I refused to believe what my eyes were seeing and my ears were hearing.”
Rather praised actor George Clooney and eBay entrepreneur Jeff Skoll for putting him in touch with Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner who also owns the HDNet television network. Rather runs a newsmagazine at HDNet.
Rather said he believes that now, at age 80, he’s doing some of the best, most consistent work of his career.
“I understand that we are unlikely to have as much impact as a large network news organization,” he wrote. “The audience is far smaller. Fewer people are going to know what we are doing. But we know. I know. And I judge success or failure by my own standards, not by somebody else’s.”
Comments (4)
Hope Yen and Charles Babington says:
April 25, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Oh, Dan. Watching you in person at the 1974 Houston NAB Convention when you retorted to President Nixon’s recognition of your desire to ask him a question…you recognized Nixon, Nixon was greeted with mixedboos and cheers, and he said to you, “Mr. Rather, are you running for something?” You replied, “No Sir. Are you?” This marked your slow, twisting downward spiral as an objective up-and-coming newsman. Once in the CBS anchor chair, we saw the famous ‘sweater outfit’, and then came the “Courage” statement when you’d sign off each night.
It was clear you leaned left, but when you started insisting the Bush allegations were true in the face of no documentation, you were lost. Then you bit the hand that fed you for all those years (CBS), and you’re still going down that rabbit hole. You’re clearly not able to find the ‘frequency’, making reference here to the tune, “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?”
Matthew Craft & David K. Randall says:
April 25, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Mr. Scanlon is apparently unaware of the origin of the line “Kenneth, What is the Frequency?” — a physical attack on Rather, which was tragically confirmed some years later when the perpetrator turned out to be the same man who opened fire on a TODAY Show crew at Rockefeller Plaza, killing a stagehand. As for Dan Rather’s mostly distinguished career, perhaps Mr. Scanlon would like to enumerate any comparable accomplishments of his own.
Craig Davenport says:
April 25, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Hey, these days, you can buy any opinion you want if you’re willing to pay the price. In Dan’s case, his integrity went out the window when he saw Uncle Walt start lamenting about the news on camera, live. Dan is suffering from that age-old malady that afflicts all those that suffer their art under the bright, hot Klegals…”IAmAStarAndWillBeSoTillTheEndOfTimus” – A recognizable sickness that is obvious to those that saw it in its early stages and managed to get out of the way of one so afflicted. The rest of the “deseased” follow their pariah-master ’cause they too, follow the sirens’ song of those that tell them they are right and the rest of the world is too stupid to realize it. Guess what? Those that watch ducks, follow ducks and smell ducks are happy that they don’t own goats. In this case, we recognize Dan for what he’s become, where he came from and will watch from a distance as he pretends he’s above all when the book comes out. Here’s how it ends…he’s on top of a mountain top, pretending to know all about everything and down below, the din of the masses begging him to appease their anguish…in reality, the smell of the goat has gone from those that used to surround it…they are looking for a new messiah and they’re wondering why an old man climbed the hill all by himself…yet none will go get him or bother, thinking it’s a waste of time. Thanks Dan, for the laughs…you got what you deserved and even though YOU don’t realize it, even your wife understood that you should keep breaking the crust on the cesspool. Some things ARE best left undisturbed. But…you’ll never get it.
Craig Davenport says:
April 25, 2012 at 2:43 pm
OOPS! Left the word “NOT” out of the 2nd to last sentence…between “should” and “keep” – where it makes a lot more sense…my bad.