DISGRACED broadcaster Dan Rather’s life was still rife with controversy after he was abruptly ousted from CBS News in 2004.
Rather, 92, shocked the media world when it was announced he would appear on CBS nearly 18 years after his sudden departure.
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A once-celebrated television news anchor, Rather is most known for his involvement in the 2004 Killian documents controversy.
That year in an episode of 60 Minutes Wednesday, he reported on a series of memoes that criticized former President George W. Bush’s record in the Texas Air National Guard service.
At the time, Bush, a proud veteran, was seeking reelection for his second term.
The authenticity of the memos, reportedly written by Bush’s former commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Jerry B. Killian, was called into question after viewers noticed the typeface looked far too modern.
The text should have resembled a 1970s typewriter but appeared as if it was written on a computer using Microsoft Word.
Though CBS initially stood by its reporting, the media outlet later pulled the story and said the source who gave them the documents had been misleading.
This led to t he immediate firing of story producer Mary Mapes, and fierce criticism of Rather who stood by his reporting.
In May 2005, Rather was fired from the network when his contract was up for renewal.
In 2007, he filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS that claimed he was made the “scapegoat” in the Killian controversy.
However, a New York state appeals court ultimately dismissed the lawsuit in 2009.
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LIFE AFTER FIRING
On Thursday, CBS revealed that Rather would be the subject of the next CBS Sunday Morning profile where he would talk about his life and history with the network.
Rather’s surprising thrust back into the spotlight left some onlookers wondering what his life looked like after his abrupt retirement.
Rather started working as a reporter in 1950 when he landed a job with the Associated Press.
He joined CBS in 1962 and worked in a variety of positions before he started as a news anchor in 1982.
He was one of three anchors who led an estimated 80 million Americans through the live coverage of 9/11.
In 2006 after leaving CBS, Rather collaborated with American businessman Mark Cuban to host and produce a weekly news program Dan Rather Reports for Cuban’s cable network AXS TV.
That program ran from 2006 until 2013 and catered toward Democratic viewers.
Rather was 81 years old when the series concluded its run, but he refused to stop working.
In 2015, he told the AP, “I love to work.”
“I have my flaws and I’ve made my mistakes, but I’ve always loved covering news, and I have a passion for covering news.
“I’d much rather wear out than rust out.”
Once Dan Rather Reports concluded, he stayed with AXS TV to host The Big Interview, which ran until 2021.
Timeline of Dan Rather’s career
In 1950, Rather got his first job working for the Associated Press in Texas.
In 1960, he joined CBS but stayed in Texas to work a variety of positions.
In 1982, Rather started working as an anchor for the media company.
He was one of three major anchors to guide Americans through 9/11.
In May 2005, he was fired from CBS, months after the Killian documents scandal.
In 2006, Rather joined American businessman Mark Cuban’s network AXS TV to host Dan Rather Reports.
He stayed hosting that program until shifting to the show The Big Interview, which ran until 2021.
On April 28, 2024, he will appear on CBS Sunday Morning.
SHOCKING CONTROVERSY
Rather has been slammed by his conservative opponents for some of his liberal-learning social media posts.
In February 2023, he was blasted for comparing a Ron DeSantis policy to Jim Crow laws.
The Florida Governor had rejected a high-school level African American studies class for including a so-called woke curriculum and critical race theory.
Rather felt this move paralleled the Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation well into the 20th century.
“The DeSantis playbook on race and education is just an updated edition of what I saw in the South in the 1960s,” Rather wrote on X at the time.
Rather also went viral in March for saying he was tired of seeing “both-sides-ism” in journalism.
“When one side lies intentionally and repeatedly, they are no longer entitled to the benefit of the doubt,” he said on X.
“They should be held to account, right away. Do not simply repeat the narratives they spew.”
CBS viewers even came for Rather once he fired off belittling comments about his successor Katie Couric, who was the first woman to host the CBS Evening News.
In March, Couric claimed that Rather wasn’t supportive when she joined the CBS team as a young journalist.
“Dan Rather said I was dumbing down and tarting up the news,” she said at a 2024 SXSW Conference panel.
“I was so upset for a while after being pummeled in the press.”
Despite the frustrations, Couric said she was grateful she kept at the job.
Rather will be interviewed by Lee Cowan on CBS Sunday Morning, which airs at 9 am EST.
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