United States
Anchor sues for millionsPosted Oct 20 2007
On Sept. 12, Former anchor Dan Rather sued CBS for $70 million due to a breach of contract that supposedly occurred when the broadcast company limited his airtime, reported the major news organizations. Rather alleged that the television network made him a “scapegoat” for airing false claims about President Bush’s Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard on 60 Minutes.
According to an independent study in 2004, CBS News reported that Rather and his colleagues “failed to follow basic journalistic principles in the preparation and reporting of the piece.”
Rather stepped down from his position as anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News” in Nov. 2004, two months after the broadcast.
Four other CBS employees lost their jobs because of the incident. Those asked to step down included Senior Vice President Betsy West, who supervised CBS News primetime programs; 60 Minutes Wednesday Executive Producer Josh Howard; and Howard’s deputy, Senior Broadcast Producer Mary Murphy. CBS fired the producer of the piece, Mary Mapes.
Rather’s suit, filed in the State Supreme Court of New York, seeks $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages. Along with the CBS Corp., defendants in the suit include Sumner Redstone, chief executive of the network's then-parent company, Viacom; CBS Chairman Les Moonves; and former CBS News president Andrew Heyward.
If successful, Rather is suspected to donate any money he may be awarded to further journalistic independence.