or


[06/20/06 - 12:00 AM]
Dan Rather to Leave CBS News

[via press release from CBS]

DAN RATHER TO LEAVE CBS NEWS

Dan Rather will leave CBS News, it was announced by Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports.

"Of all the famous names associated with CBS News, the biggest and brightest on the marquee are Murrow, Cronkite and Rather," said McManus. "With the utmost respect, we mark the extraordinary and singular role Dan has played in writing the script of not only CBS News, but of broadcast journalism. There will always be a part of Dan Rather at CBS News. He is truly a 'reporter's reporter,' and he has helped to train several generations of broadcast journalists. His legacy cannot be replicated."

"For more than four decades, Dan Rather has approached the job of broadcast journalist with a singular passion, dedication and, always, an unwavering desire to tell the story to the American public," said Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corp. "The unique mark he has left on his craft is indelible."

CBS News is currently finalizing plans for a primetime special on the newsman's legendary career at CBS News. It is scheduled to be broadcast sometime this fall. CBS News also will make a contribution to Rather's alma mater, now called Sam Houston State University.

Rather, who joined CBS News in 1962, is one of a handful of individuals who, literally, have created and built the institution of broadcast journalism. He has covered virtually every major event in the world for CBS News in the past 44 years. His resume reads like a history book: from his early local reporting in Texas on Hurricane Carla to his unparalleled work for CBS News covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; the civil rights movement; the White House and national politics; wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, Yugoslavia and Iraq. From his first days as the Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas, in 1950, he more than earned his reputation as the "hardest working man in broadcast journalism."

Rather regularly landed the biggest interviews with the world's most important and compelling figures, from the famous to the infamous. His passion for the news, for getting the story and for taking on the most challenging assignments in journalism is unmatched�something his competitors knew only too well--and he has dedicated himself to delivering to the American public coverage that is fair and accurate, no matter the size and scope of the story. Rather has interviewed every United States president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton and virtually every major international leader of the past 30 years. He landed two news-breaking interviews with Saddam Hussein. The first occurred in 1990 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Then, in February 2003, with coalition forces poised to invade the country, Rather secured the most sought-after interview in the world, an exclusive one-on-one with Saddam in Baghdad, the first the Iraqi leader had conducted with a Western journalist since 1991. Rather and his team at 60 MINUTES II also broke, arguably, the biggest story of the year--the abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison--in April 2004.

Rather served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS from March 9, 1981 to March 9, 2005, the longest such tenure in broadcast journalism history. He anchored and reported for 48 HOURS from its premiere on Jan. 19, 1988, through September 2002. He was a correspondent for 60 MINUTES from October 1975 to September 1981, and again from March 2005 to the present. Rather served as a correspondent for 60 MINUTES II from its debut on Jan. 13, 1999, to its final edition in September 2005. His regular contributions to CBS News Radio included "Dan Rather Reporting," a weekday broadcast of news and analysis on the CBS Radio Network from March 1981 to November 2004.

During his four-plus decades with CBS News, Rather has held many other prestigious positions, including anchor of "CBS Reports" and of the weekend editions of the CBS EVENING NEWS. He served as the CBS News bureau chief in London and Saigon and was the White House correspondent during the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

He has received virtually every honor in broadcast journalism, including numerous Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and citations from critical, scholarly, professional and charitable organizations.

In 1994, Rather was honored by his alma mater, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, which named its journalism and communications building after him. On a more personal note, 1997 also saw the dedication of Rather's birthplace as part of the Wharton County Historical Museum.

Among the biggest highlights of his illustrious career was his critically acclaimed live reporting on the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Rather spent 53 hours and 35 minutes on the air over less than four days beginning the morning of the attacks. He anchored coverage in the studio and reported on the crisis from Ground Zero and then filed reports on the attack's aftermath for 48 HOURS. He continued his coverage of the war on terror from datelines that included Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

In 2000, in addition to covering the Russian elections from Moscow and the peace process from Israel when they took a turn for the worse, Rather anchored Election Night 2000, a marathon that kept him on the air continuously from 6:00 PM on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Nov. 8. During the time that the presidential race was undecided, Rather interviewed both candidates on how each felt about the stalemate in Florida. At the end of the year, Rather was the first anchor to be granted an exit interview with President Clinton as he prepared to leave the White House.

Rather was also the first to get an exclusive interview with President Clinton in March 1999 after the Monica Lewinsky scandal and Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives; it was broadcast on 60 MINUTES II. It was one more first in a career punctuated by them. He was often the first of the U.S. news anchors to appear on the scene of major stories and did it once again that year when he was the first of the "big three" to report from Belgrade during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, filing stories for the CBS EVENING NEWS and other CBS News broadcasts. In addition to reporting on major events, including the Pope's visit to Cuba in January 1998, Rather was on the scene in New Orleans when Hurricane George struck the Gulf Coast in September that year.

Rather got down to even more familiar territory in 1997, when he conducted a rare interview with Horton Foote, a fellow Wharton, Texas native, for CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING and began a weekly syndicated newspaper column, reconnecting him to his roots as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas, his first job in journalism. He also returned to China to report from Hong Kong as the British colony was formally turned over to Chinese rule. The trip included stops beforehand inside mainland China, recalling his earlier reporting there to cover events like the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations and President Richard Nixon's historic call on the Chinese leadership in 1972.

Rather made two trips to the front lines in Bosnia in 1995, reporting on American peacekeeping troops. He first reported from the region a quarter of a century earlier and has had unparalleled access to political and military leaders, as well as the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. That October, Rather was literally once more in the eye of a storm, reporting on Hurricane Opal as it approached the Florida shore while two producers "anchored the anchor," clinging to his arms and legs during the ferociously high winds. That year, he reported on the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin from Jerusalem, was the only American anchor at Rabin's funeral, covered the 50th anniversary of V-E Day from London and made incisive contributions to four "CBS Reports" documentaries, including the multiple award-winning "In the Killing Fields of America."

In 1994, Rather reported from Eastern Europe on the rise of neo-fascism in the former Soviet Bloc, on the civil war in the Georgian Republic and on President Clinton's first Russian summit. He spent nearly a month in South Africa, covering that country's first attempt at true democracy and interviewing candidates of all the major parties in the elections. He went to the Middle East just before the Palestinians moved into Gaza and the West Bank, and conducted interviews with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. His reporting from Haiti was memorable: he was the only network anchor on the scene before and during the crisis, and he obtained several exclusive interviews with Haiti's military leader, Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras.

Rather is a prolific writer. He is the author of The American Dream (2001), Deadlines and Datelines (1999), The Camera Never Blinks Twice: The Further Adventures of a Television Journalist (1994), I Remember (1991), The Camera Never Blinks (1977) and The Palace Guard (1974). He also abridged Mark Sullivan's landmark popular history, Our Times: America at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century. He continues to be a much-sought-after contributor to many of the top newspapers and magazines in the country and speaks frequently on journalistic ethics.

Rather joined CBS News in 1962 as chief of its Southwest bureau in Dallas. In 1963, he was appointed chief of the Southern bureau in New Orleans, responsible for coverage of news events in the South, Southwest, Mexico and Central America. During that time, he reported on racial conflicts in the South and the crusade of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the death of President Kennedy. Rather began his career in journalism in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas. Later, he was a reporter for United Press International (1950-52), KSAM Radio in Huntsville (1950-53), KTRH Radio in Houston and the Houston Chronicle (1954-55). He became news director of KTRH in 1956 and a reporter for KTRK-TV Houston in 1959. Prior to joining CBS News, Rather was news director at KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston.

He was born Oct. 31, 1931 in Wharton, Texas. In 1953, he received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Sam Houston State Teachers College (now Sam Houston State University), where he spent the following year as a journalism instructor. He also attended the University of Houston and the South Texas School of Law.





  [june 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 48 HOURS (CBS)
· 60 MINUTES (CBS)
· 60 MINUTES (WED.) (CBS)





[03/18/24 - 01:59 PM]
Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier Join as Series Regulars for Starz's New Drama "The Hunting Wives"
Production on the thrilling new series has started in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[03/18/24 - 11:30 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer for the World Premiere of New Thriller, "The Influencer" Premiering Thursday, April 4
The original film stars Christina Cooper as Niecy Fields, a social media influencer on the cusp of stardom.

[03/18/24 - 10:06 AM]
E! Announces Trendsetting Guest Judges and Pioneering Disruptors for New Cutting-Edge Design Competition Series "OMG Fashun" with Julia Fox
Handcrafted is the new haute couture on "OMG Fashun" as Julia inspires pioneering fashion disruptors to upend traditional style convention, break the rules and redefine cool.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer For New Original Documentary "Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal" Premiering April 1
The documentary looks at the remarkable career of the late Windham Rotunda also known as Bray Wyatt, one of the most skillful, tenacious, and creative WWE Superstars of all-time.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
NBC Is the Official Home of Competition and Games This Summer with a Slate of Powerhouse Hit Series
NBC is the summer home for both the Paris Olympic Games and high-stakes competition with a robust lineup of returning powerhouse favorites, including "America's Got Talent," "American Ninja Warrior," "Password," "The Wall" and "Weakest Link."

[03/18/24 - 09:02 AM]
Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles
Plus: the streamer offers new looks at "Deliver Me," "The Helicopter Heist," "Ronja the Robber's Daughter," "Billionaire Island" and season two of "Baby Fever."

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge - and legends are made.

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Disney's "Wish" - Streaming April 3rd - Disney+
Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wish" is an all-new musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force - a little ball of boundless energy called Star.

[03/18/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Our Living World" - Cate Blanchett - Official Trailer - Netflix
This stunning nature series narrated by Cate Blanchett explores the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on our planet.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Acorn TV Fan-Favorite "Harry Wild" Returns Monday, May 13
Season three consists of six episodes and will be available on Acorn TV in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Orders "Beast Games" from MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios
Based on his already successful YouTube show, "Beast Games" is set to become the biggest reality competition series ever with 1000 contestants competing for a $5 million dollar cash prize which will be the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.

[03/18/24 - 07:14 AM]
ESPN+ Original Series "Full Court Press" Presented by State Farm Featuring Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice to Premiere May 11 & 12 on ABC and ESPN+
From Iowa's historic preseason game that broke attendance records all the way through the WNBA draft in April, the series uses unparalleled access, exclusive interviews, and unique game footage, to transport audiences into the lives of these exceptional athletes.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Scoop" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization gives an insider account of how the women of Newsnight secured Prince Andrew's infamous interview.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Season Two of Iconic Emmy Award-Winning Series "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock," Premiering Globally March 29
Award-winning season two cast includes the return of Daveed Diggs alongside Ariana DeBose, Brett Goldstein, Catherine O'Hara, Adam Lambert and K-pop group aespa in guest star roles.

[03/18/24 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Joy" - First Look Teaser - Netflix
Starring Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy, the new film based on the story of the birth of IVF.