Flashback: Rather “Boxed Out” Cronkite…

“The CBS executives who leaked the story of Dan Rather’s imminent exit from the news division to Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post today clearly despise the former anchorman,” David Blum writes on Huffington Post today (and in the NY Sun tomorrow).

It seems harsh — “but then you remember what happened to Walter Cronkite when Rather got hired as the anchor of the CBS Evening News in 1980. Perhaps to those executives, today’s events seem like perfect payback for the man who himself once booted the most trusted man in America off the airwaves. When CBS agreed to pay Rather $2.2 million a year to replace Cronkite and keep the young star from bolting to ABC News, it also acquiesed to push the former anchor into an ’emeritus’ position. With Rather’s blessing, CBS prevented the 64-year-old Cronkite from any active role in the network’s news coverage. Despite Cronkite’s expertise and popularity, Rather boxed out the once-beloved anchorman forever. Cronkite was never again allowed to cover a space launch or report an election or conduct an interview on CBS News. Rather wanted the spotlight to himself, and CBS News allowed its new anchor whatever he wanted.” More…