Dan Rather Set To Get Back On Air

(AP)  Former CBS anchor Dan Rather said Tuesday he will be the ultimate authority on a weekly news program he'll begin in October on HDNet for owner Mark Cuban, promising "independent journalism."

While he carefully framed his remarks, saying they were not intended to reflect criticism of his former longtime employer, Rather described himself as moving from an environment of corporate accountability to freedom.

The "difference here is the chain of command begins and ends with me. ... You could say it's like operating without a net, but I don't see it that way," Rather told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

"Dan Rather Reports" will feature field reports, interviews and investigations. Rather will produce the program, which will be up to an hour long, and be its host. He said he will have creative and editorial control.

"News at its best ... is a wake-up call, not a lullaby, and I'm not in the lullaby business," said Rather, who signed a three-year deal with Cuban. They refused to disclose his salary.

CBS News and Rather, 74, broke ties last month after 44 years when the two sides were unable to agree on his future role at the network. His final years at the network were soured by the controversy over CBS' discredited story on President Bush's military service.

Rather and Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, both have reputations as colorful personalities with a knack for making headlines. They vowed their new venture on the high-definition network will be a breakthrough in news coverage and a reminder of TV's power.

"People are so fixated on the Internet, so fixated on digital media, they forgot about the opportunity that good old television presents," said Cuban.

Both men acknowledged that Rather had become a lightning rod for criticism, especially by conservatives who claimed they saw bias in his reporting.

"Yes, I've got a lot of baggage," Rather responded forcefully, citing a career that includes reporting in Vietnam, the Middle East and during the Watergate years.

"Yes, I'm biased. I've got a very strong bias toward independent journalism," he said.

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