Dan Rather Signs With Speakers' Bureau, Fee: $75,000 Per Speech

MRC ^ | 12:20pm EDT, Thursday May 5, 2005 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

Dan Rather has signed on with the Newton, Massachusetts-based speaker's service, the American Program Bureau (APB), which, CyberAlert has learned, has set his fee per appearance at $75,000, plus two first-class airline seats.

The American Program Bureau's Web site touts: "We are proud to announce that one of America's most recognized and renowned journalists and reporters, the Peabody Award-winning Dan Rather, is now available EXCLUSIVELY through APB for a select number of speaking engagements."

A page devoted to Rather declares that "Dan Rather has been the embodiment of the intrepid broadcast journalist" and promises that "as a speaker, few can match the authority, experience, and perspective Rather offers on world events and the passion he displays in defense of journalism." See: www.apbspeakers.com

A national association this week inquired about Rather's fee and in an e-mail obtained by CyberAlert -- okay, really not so much "obtained," which sounds like I made some effort to get it, as someone I trust passed it along to me -- an APB representative responded: "Mr. Rather's fee is $75,000 plus first class travel for 2. (does not always use the second ticket.)"

It doesn't look like leaving the CBS Evening News will hurt Rather financially, presuming anyone wants to listen to him, but the new speaking deal may soon raise questions about conflicts given that he continues to file stories for 60 Minutes/Wednesday.

-- Brent Baker

[fight_truth_decay]

American Program Bureau-Dan Rather, 60 Minutes Correspondent

For more than 40 years, former CBS News Anchor and current 60 Minutes Correspondent Dan Rather has been the embodiment of the intrepid broadcast journalist. From the Kennedy assassination-where he was the first to break the news that the president had been killed-to the Indian Ocean tsunami, he has covered every major story of our time, with distinction and a fierce dedication to hard news.

Rather's reporting skills are legendary, and his single-minded pursuit of the story has taken him to datelines as far ranging as Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Russia, and Cuba. He has served as a correspondent during the Vietnam War, the mujahadeen uprising against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and the first and second Iraq wars. He was among the first western journalists to report on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and the last reporter on the air when the Chinese Army moved in with force. He has interviewed Mikhail Gorbachev in Red Square, and Fidel Castro in Havana.

On the domestic front, Rather has covered every presidential campaign since 1960. He was White House Correspondent for CBS News during the administrations of Presidents Johnson and Nixon, and was a leading force in broadcast news investigation of the Watergate scandal. During the 1960s, as chief of CBS' Southwest Bureau, Rather reported from the flashpoints of the Civil Rights struggle in the South.

Rather has brought his experience to bear on the biggest stories of recent years. On September 11, 2001, Rather stayed on the air for 18 hours straight to bring Americans news of the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In the days and weeks that followed, he became the first journalist to report from underneath "The Pile" at Ground Zero and his appearance on David Letterman's first post-9/11 broadcast has been credited as a touchstone for American sentiment during those difficult days.

During the American-led fight against the Taliban, Rather returned to Afghanistan several times. The first American network anchor to report from Iraq after the fall of Baghdad, Rather in 2004 broke the shocking story of the Abu Ghraib prison abuses-for which he was recognized in 2005 with prestigious Peabody and Sigma Delta Chi awards. These plaudits are but the latest in a career's work that has earned him several Emmys and just about every honor there is in broadcast journalism

A native son of Texas, Rather is well-known for his colorful speaking style and the home-spun "Ratherisms" that he has used with greatest exuberance in his election coverage. During the wee hours of the 2000 Election Night marathon, Rather commented that "We don't know whether to wind the watch or howl at the moon," after noting earlier that "[Vice President Al] Gore's got his back to the wall with his shirttails on fire in Florida." Rather is also a prolific author, having written or co-written six books and contributed to many others.

As a speaker, few can match the authority, experience, and perspective Rather offers on world events and the passion he displays in defense of journalism.

[wideawake]

I understand that for $100K, he'll speak for an hour on a completely made-up topic of your choosing.

[Riverman94610]

Wow,75,000 bucks a speech.I wonder if the Speaker's Bureau is aware that they can sign me up for HALF of what they are paying Rather!

[Sax]

Rather: "Hey fellow screaming liberals, I have done my part over the years to subvert this country's conservatives, and finally paid the price with having my career ended prematurely. Now it is your turn to repay my decades of effort by forking over $75,000 an appearance to listen to me tell you about how good I am. Thank you for your attention."

[lexington minuteman 1775]

I will give speeches for $7,500 a speech.

[bert]

He's such a great American that he won't allow anyone to sit next to him on the plane.

I'd drive 500 miles to FReep a Rather speech.

[Tax-chick]

I imagine his main customers will be universities, most of which will be paying him with taxpayers' money.

[astounded]

"We are proud to announce that one of America's most recognized and renowned journalists and reporters, the Peabody Award-winning Dan Rather, is now available EXCLUSIVELY through APB for a select number of speaking engagements."

Should read "...one of America's most recognized and reviled traitors and liars..."

[anniegetyourgun]

If you charge them, they will come.

[Hank Rearden]

For an additional $50,000, his speech won't be completely made-up crap.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think you're on to something.

[One Proud Dad]

Wished I could get paid that much to lie and drool for an hour.

[add925]

"Thank you, that will be $75,000 please."

[EagleUSA]

For an additional $50,000, his speech won't be completely made-up crap.
-----
Now we are getting more to the truth. He will make money, because there is a group of people in this country that want to be fed leftist, anti-American, anti-war, anti-military, anti-Bush, anti-everything that is America, BULL EXCREMENT.

We call them liberal Democrats (amongst other names).

[Lee Heggy]

Really! I thought the extra seat was for the box he keeps his face in.

[fight_truth_decay]

FREEP A RATHER SPEECH.

Needs its own category..good idea.
Then FReepers could hold up signs

REMEMBER BUCKHEAD.

[Logical me]

This is a hunk of garbage. No newscaster is worth that kind of prestige. All they do is read a script, it's the support staff that gathers the news for the newscaster. In the case of Rather, his support staff was all liberal and their hate for the Republicans was so rampant that they distorted the news. Rather, being a hard core Democrat just embellished the shi@.

[Republican Wildcat]

Indeed.

[Sax]

Of course that's the unfortunate status quo for our institutions of higher learning. The nice thing is there is a solid trend of new, young conservatives and moderates who are being repulsed by the forcing of liberal ideas and group-think. For an intelligent kid, it's insulting to sit and listen to these professors who are permanently stuck in '1960's mode.' They have brothers, sisters and peers that are actually in the field doing the world some good.

So in a round about way, it pays off.