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Let Rather Be Rather!
The ink is drying on Dan Rather’s deal with Mark Cuban to report and host a weekly documentary series, and we can expect to see even more of the ousted CBS anchorman before the show debuts in October.
It’s not like Rather, a part-time Austinite, has been lurking in the shadows. Last week he chatted with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about the test missiles firing out of North Korea. Over the next few weeks, his visibility is going to soar.
Rather is scheduled to be a featured panelist on Chris Matthews’ syndicated Sunday morning show (6:30 a.m. on KXAN Channel 36) for two weeks, and he will be the primary interview Wednesday evening on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” And this afternoon he will promote his new high-def show during the cable portion of the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour.
Today the two Texans, Rather and Cuban, officially signed on various dotted lines to create “Dan Rather Reports,” the much-speculated upon new series that will air on HDNet, the high-definition network owned by Cuban. Although CBS News suffered mostly third-place ratings, Rather’s audience for the new gig will be minuscule by comparison. That’s because HDNet reaches only 3 million satellite and cable homes (including Austin’s Time Warner).
The show will be based in New York, and Rather, 74, plans to return to hefty topics such as the war in Iraq and the aftermath of Katrina.
“Hard news needs backers who won’t back down,” Rather said in a statement. “Mark Cuban is such a leader. As a team player I intend to give Mark and HDNet all of the hard work, loyalty and fearless, high-quality reporting possible.”
Rather apparently made the first move in this partnership, and Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner who is almost as driven and intense as Rather, was quick to respond. There’s nothing like a big name to draw attention to your relatively new (it launched in 2001) and super-niche network. Rather is practically guaranteed to be the ratings-star of HDNet.
Because many people will not be able to see Rather’s new show, we’ll just have to check out his various appearances on non-high-def networks, and his outings on Matthew’s show could be the best. Matthews is likely to pull passionate, possibly fiery opinions out of Rather, and that could be fabulous entertainment.
It’s no secret that Rather resents being shown the (back) door months ahead of the end of his CBS contract. After working in the hallowed halls of Edward R. Murrow for 44 years, Rather received, by just about anybody’s estimation, shabby treatment from CBS. Personally, I’m all ears for his passionate opinions.
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