Dan Rather

Notable incidents

1968 Democratic convention

During live coverage of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Rather attempted to interview a delegate who appeared as though he were being forcibly removed by men without identification badges.

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As Rather approached the delegate to question the apparent strong-arm tactics of the Chicago political machine, he was punched in the stomach by one of the men knocking him to the ground. "He lifted me right off the floor and put me away. I was down, the breath knocked out of me, as the whole group blew on by me...In the CBS control room, they had switched the camera onto me just as I was slugged."

Related Topics:
Chicago - Political machine

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"Kenneth, what is the frequency?"

In October 1986, as Rather was walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan to his apartment, he was attacked and punched from behind by a man who demanded to know, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" As the assailant pummeled and kicked Rather, he kept repeating the question over and over again. In describing the incident, Rather said, "I got mugged. Who understands these things? I didn't and I don't now. I didn't make a lot of it at the time and I don't now. I wish I knew who did it and why, but I have no idea."

Related Topics:
1986 - Park Avenue - Manhattan

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The incident and Rather's account led some to doubt the veracity of Rather's story. Nevertheless, the story entered popular lore and remained unsolved for some time. The incident inspired a song called "Kenneth, What's the Frequency?" by the band Game Theory in 1987, and in 1994 the band R.E.M. released the much more widely known song "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" on the album Monster. It became the subject of many jokes over the years and slang for a confused or clueless person. Rather actually sang with the band when they performed the song on the David Letterman show.

Related Topics:
Game Theory - 1987 - 1994 - R.E.M. - What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - Monster - David Letterman

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Many theories existed about why Rather was attacked; one theory even linked the event to the KGB, the CIA, and Soviet television broadcasts. Finally in 1997, the mystery of the "Kenneth" incident appeared to be solved. When the New York Daily News published a photo of William Tager, Rather identified him as his assailant. "There's no doubt in my mind that this is the person," Rather said. Tager is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for killing NBC stagehand Campbell Montgomery outside The Today Show studio in 1994. Tager apparently was convinced that the news media was beaming signals into his head. He demanded that Rather tell him the frequency of the signals. Why he referred to Rather as "Kenneth" remains a mystery although some have speculated that Tager, being Jewish, was actually saying "Goniff, What is the frequency?" (Goniff being Yiddish for a thief or dishonest person).

Related Topics:
KGB - CIA - 1997 - New York Daily News - William Tager - NBC - Campbell Montgomery - The Today Show - 1994 - Jewish - Yiddish

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"Courage"

For one week in September 1986 http://ratherbiased.com/courage.htm, Rather signed off his broadcasts to CBS with the single word Courage. Apparently it was just a signature line and had nothing to do with the news at the time (which included the Joseph Cicippio abduction and a threat by Arab extremists to "become familiar with your skyscrapers and extend the terror campaign to the United States"). Other newscasters ridiculed and parodied him, and he dropped it. Afterwards, Rather said "And that's part of our world." On his last broadcast, March 9, 2005, he once again signed off with courage, this time linking it to the September 11, 2001 attacks as well as courage shown by fellow journalists.

Related Topics:
1986 - Joseph Cicippio - March 9 - 2005 - September 11, 2001 attacks

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Dead air

On September 11, 1987, Rather marched off the set of the CBS Evening News when a tennis match threatened to cut into his broadcast. The Graf-McNeil tennis match then ended sooner than expected at 6:32 p.m., but Rather was nowhere to be found. Over 100 affiliates were left scrambling with an embarrassing six minutes of dead air. By the time Rather was found and placed before the camera, most of the audience had already tuned out. Much criticism was hurled in Rather's direction. Walter Cronkite told a reporter, "I would have fired him. There's no excuse for it." Rather issued a written statement later that week that stopped short of apologizing, apparently a large enough gesture to save his job. George H.W. Bush referred to the incident in a confrontation with Rather saying, "I want to talk about why I want to be president, why those 41 percent of the people are supporting me. And I don't think it's fair to judge my whole career by a rehash on Iran. How would you like it if I judged your career by those seven minutes when you walked off the set in New York?

Related Topics:
September 11 - 1987 - Tennis - Graf - McNeil - Walter Cronkite

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AIDS activists

On January 22, 1991, and unknown to Rather until just after the evening newscast began to air, three AIDS activists stormed the CBS newsroom, repeatedly shouting, "fight AIDS, not Arabs...fight AIDS, not Arabs...", just as the opening credits rolled. One of the activists was actually seen on the air. In embarrassment, Rather ordered the network to "break for a commercial", after which he apologized for the activists' actions (they were later arrested by CBS security).

Related Topics:
January 22 - 1991 - AIDS

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"Ratherisms"

Rather is known for his many off-the-cuff colorful analogies and descriptions while filling the air during live broadcasts. Very similar to those used by baseball announcer Red Barber, these "Ratherisms" are also called "Texanisms" or "Danisms" by some. A few of the more colorful ones from the 2000 Election include: http://www.famoustexans.com/danrather.htm

Related Topics:
Baseball - Red Barber - 2000 Election

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• "This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-O."
• Referred to the race as "spandex-tight."
• "He swept through the South like a tornado through a trailer park."
• "Don't bet the trailer money on it yet."
• "It's a ding dong battle back and forth."
• "Look at that. Can't get a cigarette paper between'em."
• "His chances are slim right now and if he doesn't carry Florida, slim will have left town."
• "We said earlier in the evening at one point that Governor Bush would probably be as mad as a rained-on rooster."
• "The polls have been veering and wobbling so much that neither NASA nor the Russian Cosmodrome could track 'em in some cases."
• "If you're disgusted with us, frankly I don't blame ya."
• "If? If a frog had pockets, he'd carry a handgun!"
• "I think you would likelier see a hippopotamus run through this room than see George Bush appoint Ralph Nader to the Cabinet."
• Referred to California as "the big burrito."

Pop culture figure

Though his popularity and ratings have declined, Rather's apparent affinity for the bizarre has made him into an ironic pop-culture icon. He has been lampooned numerous times by the television shows Saturday Night Live and Family Guy and many films. Samples of Rather's newscasts were used to create "Rocked By Rape," a single by the Evolution Control Committee which was subsequently banned by CBS; the song combined some of Rather's more dramatic headlines ("Gunned down / shooting death / blood drops / murderer") with a heavily edited recording of AC/DC's Back in Black. He also made a cameo in the JibJab political cartoon, Good to Be in D.C..

Related Topics:
Saturday Night Live - Family Guy - Evolution Control Committee - Back in Black - JibJab - Political cartoon

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Newspapers and magazines are fond of compiling his expressions and many people enjoyed tuning in to Rather's broadcasts in the hopes he'd say something amusing.

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Drug Use

Internet rumor holds that in an unconfirmed 1980 interview with Ladies' Home Journal, Rather claimed that "in 1955 or '56, I had someone at the Houston police station shoot me with heroin so I could do a story about it." He has also hinted that he may have tried LSD. http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2004-12-02/news/hairballs.html

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