MONTHS, NOT WEEKS

Remember CBS President Andrew Heyward's promise that the Rathergate investigation would be over and public in "weeks, not months"? Investor's Business Daily reports:

It's been nearly 3 1/2 months since former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and retired Associated Press chief executive Louis D. Boccardi were named to an independent panel to investigate the "60 Minutes" story that used forged documents to allege Bush shirked his duties when in the Texas Air National Guard in the 1960s and 1970s.

The panel was named Sept. 22, 14 days after the story aired and two days after Rather finally stopped denying that the documents were bogus and admitted the story was a mistake. The probe was supposed to get at how the story came to be.

In most newsrooms, that would take about 14 minutes, not 14 weeks, and those involved would by now have found new employment in the food-service or hospitality industry.

If I remember, at the beginning of this month, they said it'd be out in two weeks.

Where is it?

It's also worth pointing out that Rather continued insisting the memos were real in interviews afterwards, and that in most newsrooms, they apparently *wouldn't* be fired. That being the problem.

Technically, weeks are also a part of "never"...

"fake, but true," very funny :)

Let's not kid ourselves. If that report is ever released, it will appear in the back pages on some Wednesday, and it will dance around the truth, while at the same time singing the praises of Dan Blather and his couple of centuries worth of "fine journalistic work".

Hmm, shouldn't that be 'fake, but accurate'...?

I was actually expecting CBS to release their report about 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, in order to assure the minimum amount of coverage, and after that failed to materialize, sometime around 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

My current bet is in the neighborhood of 4-7 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, especially since it's ABC's turn to broadcast the game this year.

fake, but move along folks. there's nothing more to see here.

I'm actually surprised CBS hasn't released them now. With all the attention on the tsunami victims, they could have slipped the announcement in and perhaps not received as much attention.

Perhaps they will wait until Rather steps down? -or- Never.

Anyone know if CBS has taken any big hit in ratings because of Rathergate and NOT releasing the report? If there have been no consequences, in terms of revenue loss, there may not be much of an incentive at this point.

I mean, CBS News is already the butt of jokes. Whatever they had in terms of 'name brand', for their news division, has been flushed down the toilet. If they cared at all for their reputation they would have acted sooner. Since they haven't acted, I'm left to assume CBS News cares nothing for its reputation. Unless revenue is down why should they bother?

I'm still puzzled as to why CBS News wouldn't act faster to try and salvage its reputation. I always thought that a news division cared MOST for its reputation. I can see I'm wrong, but I don't understand WHY. Why does CBS News care so little about its reputation?

Why is Dan Rather more important than the reputation of the entire news division? What about the other reporters working at CBS? They get tarred with the same muck that is tarring Rather. I wonder why they haven't staged some sort of revolt?

Well, I had almost forgotten the entire matter, (intended effect of the delay)?

Likely the release will coincide with the announcement of Rathers replacement, as it doesn't really matter who that is going to be, and it will help dilute the whole sorry affair.

CJosephson

Anyone know if CBS has taken any big hit in ratings because of Rathergate and NOT releasing the report?

They would need to have ratings, in order to take said hit. Also, their primary audience (70 years and up) is probably unaware of the whole ordeal, and believe what "The Dan" told them on that fateful night to this day.

It won't get buried. At this point, if it appears in some small-town free-newspaper Legal Notices in 8-point type, it will be grabbed by a local blogger and circulated through the blogosphere within hours. And they know that.

NOW they know that. I'd guess that's what's put a hold on the release.

I'll tell you one thing I'll bet CBS learned from RatherGate: When the report comes out, they won't post it online...

Whoever dies first will take the blame.

"Weeks" is also part of unbound infinity.

The report may be so damaging that they will never release it.

There were too many 'mistakes' in the Memogate story. More 'mistakes' than could be explained by incompetence. More 'mistakes' than could be blamed on idiocy. A possible explanation is that a self-righteous clique within CBS News concocted a false story because they thought they could get away with it.

The main concern at CBS may not be the restoration of credibility, but evading legal consequences for their actions.

Yes, it's been 3 1/2 months since CBS started their investigation. They're slow, but not as slow as Powerline (Time's Blog of the Year, in large part because of the role they played in Rathergate). It's now 4 1/2 months since Powerline pulled their own Rather: they carelessly published bogus information. The difference is that at least Rather finally acknowledged his error, after 12 days. Powerline still hasn't even done that much, even months later. Will they get around to doing that before CBS finishes its investigation? Hard to say.

By all means, Jukeboxgrad, join the conversation ON CBS, but kindly keep on topic. The fact that another blog was at the forefront of those exposing Dan Rather and crew's pathetic attempt to pull the wool over the public's eyes is relevant; the fact that you disagree with them about something else is not. Any off topic nonsense (or a continuance of the behavior I have seen you engage in on other blogs -- yes, I am familiar with your "oeuvre") will get your account suspended.

Looks like they may be trying to sweep the matter under the rug and only repair the damage they seem to care about (namely that in their relationship to the White House)...Broadcasting&Cable reports that Heyward has been on a walk to Canossa recently.

jukeboxgrad

at least Rather finally acknowledged his error, after 12 days.

Rather maintains that 'MS Word' seems to have existed in the early seventies.

Also

Powerline still hasn't even done that much, even months later. Will they get around to doing that before CBS finishes its investigation?

You could e-mail them, or even call their radio-show (The Northern Alliance) and ask. It is available on the web.

Sorry for not providing links...google away.

Okay, here you are jukebox...something or other.

www.northernallianceradio.com/

and www.powerlineblog.com/

Thanks Andrea

Thomas: jukeboxgrad knows how to contact the Powerline blog; he is complaining about them in his comments on the other site. Please don't help him drag his petty trolling on some other site's opinion here.

CBS?
Bwaaahaaahhaaa- etc.

Andrea said "the fact that you disagree with them about something else is not [relevant]"

The connection is that the very thing they caught Rather doing (and which made them famous as a result) is something they've done themselves. Only worse, since unlike him they decline to take responsibility for the mistake.

Thomas said "you could e-mail them," and Andrea provided links.

Thanks for trying to be helpful, but they've been aware of this problem for a long time. That's the whole point.

jukeboxgrad

I should point out, that Andrea did not provide those links. I was thanking her for providing instructions for posting links. I could have been more clear on that.

I admit, that I am a bit of a hack, where computers are concerned.

All the same, you could call the Northern Alliance's Saturday show. From what I've heard, it's not just an echo-chamber.

I'll leave it at that.

Sorry for the troll-feeding Andrea.

"Andrea did not provide those links"

Oops, obviously you're right. My mistake. I did some careless cutting and pasting and ended up reading things incorrectly. Sorry for the confusion.

"I could have been more clear on that."

No, I think you were completely clear. The mistake was all mine.

"I admit, that I am a bit of a hack, where computers are concerned."

I see no sign of that. Anyway, these internets get confusing sometimes, even for folks who have been around for a while.

"All the same, you could call the Northern Alliance's Saturday show. From what I've heard, it's not just an echo-chamber."

Thanks for that good idea, which I didn't think of. And I'll assume you're correct that it's not an echo chamber. But Saturday afternoon is regular committed prime time for me and my kids, so I won't do it. Also, I think radio is an awkward medium for all the details in this story. Anyway, Powerline was explicitly informed long ago by email, which they completely ignored. So much for accountability.