Dan Rather Takes On Network News With His Tart Remark

In the middle of all this tussling and spatting is Couric, a hard-working, essentially lovable TV personality who proved herself versatile, diligent and earnest when hosting the "Today" show -- a remarkable TV presence. It's undeniably true that because she is a woman, she was picked on for such frivolous allegations as showing too much leg when she arrived at CBS. Actually, male anchors and correspondents have been picked on over the years for their appearance, too -- like the hullabaloo made when Rather, for instance, merely donned a sweater-vest under his coat when he was anchor, allegedly to make him appear warmer on the air, if not in fact to be warmer in a chilly TV studio.

"Don't you bet that Katie Couric wishes she had never left the 'Today' show," Rather speculated yesterday, amplifying his earlier remarks.

During an appearance at Syracuse University, Moonves shot back: "Let's give her a break," but it's not clear what that means. Does it mean failing to report that "CBS Evening News" recently set a record for least watched network newscast in 20 years, then, a week later, scored even lower?

Couric has always had a high TV Q, which is a kind of private rating system used in the business to judge -- fairly or unfairly -- public reaction to TV personalities. But a prominent industry insider has said that Couric also showed an unusually high "negative Q," meaning that people who disliked her strongly disliked her, rather than merely dismissing her or brushing her off. Why this is so, or whether such measurements are accurate, no one really knows for certain.

Asked whether CBS was going to stand behind Couric amid all the criticism, controversy and the poor showing in the Nielsens, Kaplan said: "Katie's our anchor -- period. We have great confidence in what she can do." Kaplan, Couric and their co-workers have the summer to finish their remodeling work and build a better -- and more popular -- show. No changes in personnel are likely during the low-viewing summer months.

Rather said that he never planned an attack on the "Evening News" or on Couric, but that he was asked about it by Chuck Scarborough, who has replaced the deposed Don Imus on morning radio and MSNBC-TV. "He asked me directly what I thought," Rather said. "It is my wont to answer a question directly. It was not planned."

For the record, Rather had to endure occasional barbs heaved his way by Walter Cronkite -- Rather's predecessor on the "CBS Evening News" -- during and after Rather's reign on that program. Rather might still be on the show if not for a botched CBS News report about President George W. Bush's lack of active service in the National Guard and whether Bush was given special treatment.

The ensuing controversy not only spurred criticism of Rather, but also virtually split the CBS News division in two, with some employees thinking Rather should have done more to save the careers of producers who were fired under orders from the top. Moonves and Rather had never liked each other, and Moonves took the opportunity to essentially force out Rather. Moonves never could have turned the "CBS Evening News" into the "CBS Candy News" with Rather in the anchor chair -- and while Rather held the title of managing editor.

Even critics of Rather would have to admit he has always stood, firmly and stubbornly, for hard news over fluff and for integrity in the newsroom.

Rather insisted by phone yesterday that his criticisms go much, much wider than how badly or well "CBS Evening News" might be doing. "I was trying to make a larger point about dangerous trends I see in broadcast news and I just happened to be asked about the 'CBS Evening News' by Scarborough," Rather said.

"We have enormous life-or-death issues and challenges facing us in this country and the world today," he said. "Everything from the dismantling of civil rights enforcement within the Justice Department to the war in Iraq to news of secret prisons in Europe and, of course, the next presidential election.

"And yet, for some reason, Paris Hilton is the big story on newscast after newscast. She is inescapable. Putting Paris Hilton on the front page is ridiculous, and it is a mistake to load up a newscast with soft features. The corporate leadership of CBS doesn't even know what hard news is supposed to be -- not now, and not in the last years that I was the anchor of the broadcast. They know about entertainment, not news, and about kissing up to politicians in Washington who can do them some good from a regulatory standpoint and help improve their profit picture."