Dan Rather has filed an amended lawsuit against CBS that says other TV networks refused to hire him because of the damage executives at his former company did to his reputation after a disputed 2004 report on President Bush.
Rather’s lawyer, Martin R. Gold, said new papers were filed because a judge said in April the initial lawsuit did not specify how CBS injured Rather in his occupation. The judge said the veteran newsman could submit an amended complaint. [...]
Rather says he met with CNN, ABC, and NBC in 2006 to talk about employment after his departure from CBS, but they refused to hire him because he brought “too much baggage.”
The news anchor said that when he met CNN officials in 1997, they offered him $6 million a year to work for them. He said issues with his CBS contract, plus CBS’ proposed match of CNN’s offer, caused him to stay where he was.
In a spring 2006 meeting, court papers say, Rather met again with CNN executives and with ABC and NBC representatives. None would consider him, saying in various ways that the Bush story had generated too much controversy.
Rather and his agents also met later with Fox, A&E, History Channel, HBO, Discovery Channel and National Geographic television networks, court papers say, but all passed, saying he was “too hot to handle” or “words to that effect.”
Rather’s papers say he could have defended the Bush story, but, relying on CBS’ promises to defend him and extend his contract, he was “misled into remaining silent and unfairly taking the brunt of the blame for misconceptions about the broadcast.”
He left CBS on June 16, 2006, after more than 40 years at the network. He has since signed with HDNet, a cable network with limited distribution.
“Although now working, Mr. Rather’s (on air) exposure is dramatically limited and, accordingly, his reputation and standing in his trade and profession have not recovered from the damage caused by the defendants’ conduct,” court papers say.
