Rather returns, thanks to HDNet

Dusty Saunders, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Dan Rather and his patented analogies are back.

Appearing during election- night coverage on cable's Comedy Central, the newsman described Sen. Hillary Clinton's smashing re-election victory in New York: "She ran away with it like a hobo with a piece of potato pie."

That's right up there with "We were on that story quicker than a raven on roadkill," an analogy Rather made during his CBS glory days when the network scooped the opposition on a political story.

The journalist's serious side returns Tuesday with the debut of Dan Rather Reports, a weekly hourlong news series on HDNet, the high-definition network owned by Mark Cuban, with headquarters in Denver. It could be subtitled Dan Rather's Production, since the newsman has editorial control over the project.

"I've never had such control before," Rather said by phone this week from his New York office. "While Mark is the boss, he's leaving the journalistic decision- making in my hands."

Delusions of grandeur aren't dancing in Rather's head.

"We're a start-up, a work in progress," he said. "Don't expect perfection. We'll stumble along the way.

"But as HDNet grows in audience, so will our weekly news programs. HD takes you there. It puts you in Baghdad. Puts you in Afghanistan. Or puts you right as close to the launchpad at NASA as you can get. Mix the picture with hard-driving, no- holds- barred reporting and you have the future of television news."

A single subject could dominate the show one week, followed by a variety of issues the next.

"The key is flexibility - the ability to cover what is happening in the world without commercials and executives looking over your shoulder," he said.

"We don't have to worry about ratings or demographics. Mark owns his company, lock, stock and barrel. There will be no sacred cow; Mark reports to no one."

In addition to covering the world, Rather is interested in dealing with family economics - "families that must deal with day-to-day living, like buying cars, paying the mortgage and obtaining health care."

The anchor remains a political animal.

"I was champing at the bit to get the program started in October during the midterm battle," he said. "We just couldn't put things together. It would have been a mistake to come on and not be prepared."

Dan Rather Reports features a crew of 19, with stringers around the world.

Cuban and Rather put the deal together during last spring's NBA playoffs (Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks) after Cuban indicated that he wanted to expand HDNet's news coverage by hiring a high-profile journalist.

A mutual friend arranged dinner; soon after, Rather had a three-year deal to produce 42 news hours annually.

Rather's side of the story: "Mark originally called me to get some outside, unofficial coaching advice about the Mavericks. After I got out of high school, while starting my reporting career, I played in an amateur league in which I invented an offense called the 'fat man weave.' Mark was somewhat interested in that, and that led to more serious conversations."

Rather was more bittersweet when discussing his 44-year career at CBS News, which included 24 years as CBS Evening News anchor.

He became persona non grata at the network after his controversial, inaccurate 2004 report on 60 Minutes II about President Bush's National Guard service during the Vietnam War.

While he doesn't monitor the CBS Evening News daily, Rather expressed some concern about the "different direction" of the weeknight half-hour now anchored by Katie Couric.

"Les Moonves (CBS head) once said - and I'm paraphrasing here - that he'd like to blow up CBS News and start with a new model," Rather said.

"Regarding the Edward R. Murrow era, I believe he said, 'We're finished with all that.' Well, I'm not finished with all that."

Rather did say he respects and likes Katie Couric.

"Her big test will come during a major news story, like a 9/11 tragedy, when she's on the air anchoring the program for several hours without interruption," he said. "That's when a news anchor becomes the face of a network news department.

"I've been traveling so much during the past two months that I haven't seen a lot of newscasts. It takes a while for a broadcast to settle in. The time to assess the change will come around the end of February."

Ratherisms

Dan Rather never met an analogy he didn't like. Or does it just seem like that? Some of his on-air bromides:

• "That race is tighter than the rusted lug nuts on a '57 Ford."

• "Don't bet the trailer money on it yet."

• "His chances are slim right now, and if he doesn't carry Florida, slim will have left town."

• "The race is tight, like a too-small two-piece bathing suit."

See Dan read

• When and where: 6 p.m. Tuesdays, HDNet (available locally only to DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers). Repeats at 9 p.m. Tuesday, 5 p.m. Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday.

Dusty Saunders is the broadcasting critic. 303-954-5137 or saunders@RockyMountainNews.com