Posted on 03/30/2005 7:26:57 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
Just three weeks after his last night as anchor of the CBS Evening News, on Wednesday night Dan Rather will start his new job as a full-time correspondent on the Wednesday edition of 60 Minutes, the very program sullied by Rather's September hit piece on President Bush based on forged memos. Rather's first story: An interview with retired GE Chairman Jack Welch and his new wife. Rather hopes to boost the ratings of the 59th-ranked prime time program so CBS keeps it on the fall schedule and thus provide him with a job. Rather told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gail Shister that he "always dreamed" of having his new voice mail greeting which opens with, Wild Turkey A n excerpt from Shister's March 29 column, which was highlighted Tuesday on Romenesko's Web page (www.poynter.org ):
CBS's Dan Rather saw an alligator the other day while fishing for bass near his Texas vacation home.
Any dangerous reptiles at CBS?
"CBS has no alligators... and no snakes and no coyotes," Rather said, chuckling, in an interview yesterday. "Every man and woman is a knight."...
Though he's juggling several pieces with his usual intensity, Rather sounds almost, well, laid-back on his new voice-mail message. It begins, "Howdy, this is Dan Rather," and ends, "For now, adios."
"I always dreamed of having that voice mail. That's who and what I am, the way I grew up. Now I'm able to let that side out a little more than before."
Rather is scheduled to return to New York tonight. For the last five days, he's been fishing, playing with his two young grandsons, visiting with close friends.
He loves the time in his native Texas, but "it's not that hard to leave. I've had a lifetime of doing it. When I come down here, I hit the off switch. I take it down. When it's time to go back to work, I hit the switch to on. It's taken me years to develop that."
Once back, Rather plans to "plunge hard into 60 Wednesday. April is our month of decision. We need to do well. We need to prove we're valuable to the schedule."
Like Rather, 60 Wednesday is under fire.
The show has been on the shelf all month because of NCAA basketball coverage. With shaky ratings and no public endorsement from CBS czar Les Moonves, its future is dubious, at best. CBS announces its fall schedule in May.
"Dan has sort of given us new life," says executive producer Jeff Fager. "People are pumped up. He's a big figure, and he means a lot to the people working here."...
The 60 Wednesday staff threw a small gathering last week to welcome Rather. (Refreshments included beer and Rather's longtime beverage of choice - Wild Turkey bourbon.)
Despite his stature, Rather doesn't try to "big-foot" assignments from other correspondents, Fager says.
"What has always made 60 Wednesday and 60 Minutes unique is that it's an ensemble of reporters. It's not driven by one anchor, but by the team. There's no one star."
60 Wednesday will need many stars to avoid cancellation.
Clobbered by ABC freshman smash Lost, it averages just 8.6 million viewers this season, tying for 59th on Nielsen's Hit Parade. By comparison, 60 delivers 14.6 million viewers to rank 17th....
END of Excerpt
For Shister's article in full: www.philly.com
For the CBSNews.com preview of Rather's session with Jack Welch: www.cbsnews.com
Ok..FReepers,we can do better than "Howdy" and "Adios"!
For all those that have "always dreamed" of helping Dan create a voice-mail message/greeting, here's your chance.
[Contest winners will not be contacted by e-mail, and do not have to provide valid proof of address or citizenship to enter cause there are NO Prizes! All FReepers and their immediate families may participate in the HELP RATHER RECORD A VOICE MAIL GREETING CONTEST.]
"Howdy, this is Dan Rather. This greeting is fake, but accurate. Have a nice day."
Huh?
CBS hopes he will boost the ratings of 60Wednesday? ummm... like he did for CBSsnooze?
These folks are treading water, and Moonves has thrown them an anchor.
"Hi... this is Dan Rather, and you've reached my voice mail... please press '1' if you wish to leave a copy of today's DNC talking points... press '2' if you have fake documents about Republicans... press '3' for the frquency, Kenneth..."
Sorry... I don't know what happened! A Turkey jumped in there!
Correction:
"Just three weeks after his last night as anchor of the CBS Evening News, on Wednesday night Dan Rather will start his new job as a full-time correspondent on the Wednesday edition of 60 Minutes, the very program sullied by Rather's September hit piece on President Bush based on forged memos. Rather's first story: An interview with retired GE Chairman Jack Welch and his new wife. Rather hopes to boost the ratings of the 59th-ranked prime time program so CBS keeps it on the fall schedule and thus provide him with a job. Rather told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gail Shister that he "always dreamed" of having his new voice mail greeting which opens with, "howdy, this is Dan Rather," and ends with, "for now, adios."
An excerpt from Shister's March 29 column, which was highlighted Tuesday on Romenesko's Web page (www.poynter.org ):
I'm glad CBS kept him on. They might have retained some semblance of credibility if they had fired him.
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