Dan Rather – Pushed off his Anchor’s Chair

Dan Rather: I did it my way…

Today marks the end of an era for Broadcast News in America. After 24 years, Dan Rather of CBS News reads his final news lines tonight as he bows to the decision of his corporate bosses to sign off, permanently.

But, unlike the graceful exit of his rival and fellow news dinosaur, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, Dan will not enjoy a fond farewell. Instead, in unseemly and spiteful form, his fellow colleagues at CBS have been leading a chorus of critics in dancing on his professional grave as they bid him a gleeful good riddance.

Why? Well, Dan seemed utterly uninterested in winning friends as he climbed the network ladder to the Anchor’s chair. And, he outraged not only his colleagues but all of America by usurping Walter Cronkite – “the most trusted man in America” – from that chair in very churlish fashion.

Therefore, many people see it as appropriate comeuppance for Dan to be retiring so unceremoniously. Of course, he did not earn any good will when his last significant report as a newsman was thoroughly discredited as a hatchet piece on George W. Bush in a vain attempt to influence last year’s presidential elections.

Alas, like all tragic heroes, the very trait that made Dan big has now rendered him small. And, despite his gallant efforts to maintain his Texas strut, Dan will clearly now hobble into TV news oblivion.

Say goodnight Dan. What’s the frequency, Kenneth? Courage!