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Dan Rather readies to step aside

After months of furious criticism from conservatives for backing a contentious and disputed report about US President George W. Bush's military service, Dan Rather was to sign off yesterday as anchorman of CBS Evening News after 24 years.

It's hardly a smooth sail into the sunset: A CBS affiliate was taking a vote among its viewers on whether to air the network's prime-time tribute to Rather, and, in his last full week on the air, Rather finished a distant third in the US ratings. He averaged 3 million fewer viewers each night than second-place ABC's Peter Jennings, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Rather's 24 years gave him the longest-running continuous tenure in the anchor chair for a network newscaster. Rather, 73, is becoming a full-time reporter for CBS' 60 Minutes franchise.

On his final broadcast, Rather will end his series of reflections on some of the biggest stories he's covered -- this time talking about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- and briefly talk to viewers about the end of his tenure, said Jim Murphy, the broadcast's executive producer.

"It is a particularly trying time for CBS News and the CBS Evening News," Murphy said. "We would just like to do our jobs well and have our work graded on the strength of the newscast. This sideshow that is going on with the media who want to have fun picking on Dan ... It's not good and it's not fun for us."

The network and Rather have both taken blows to their reputation from September's discredited report about Bush's military service. This was a story where it appeared that Rather was out to get a sitting Republican president two months before an election, conservative pundit Tucker Carlson said, although the independent panel examining the story said it found no evidence of a bias against Bush. The chief CBS producer on the story was fired and three other employees were asked to resign.

The CBS affiliate WWTV in Cadillac, Michigan, said it decided to lets its viewers vote on whether or not to air yesterday's prime-time tribute, "Dan Rather: A Reporter Remembers," after being inundated with "negative feedback" about Rather.

The station will air something else -- it wouldn't say what -- if a majority of voters turn thumbs down on Rather. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,000 people had cast ballots with 63 percent voting against Rather, station spokeswoman Tessia Klix said.

The network wouldn't comment on its affiliate's actions. CBS spokesman Dana McClintock said he knew of no other affiliate that wasn't airing the special.
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