Time’s up for Dan Rather.
A state appeals court today dismissed the former “60 Minutes” correspondent’s $70 million lawsuit against his former bosses at CBS.
Rather’s breach of contract and fraud suit charged that CBS ruined the “Evening News” anchor’s reputation by making him a scapegoat for a flawed 2004 story on then-President Bush’s Vietnam-era Texas Air National Guard service that infuriated the White House.
Rather, 77, had hoped the suit would vindicate the report, and would also force CBS to pay for costing him job opportunities by effectively sidelining him in the wake of the controversy.
“Rather’s claim that, but for CBS’ fraud, he could have had more remunerative employment than that which he ultimately obtained at HDNet is unavailing,” the ruling says.
The panel noted that, “Rather admits that, the broadcast and its aftermath aside, CBS was already contemplating that he would step down from its anchor position in 2006 and assume a reduced role.”
“As to lost opportunities in the trade, while Rather has shown his own track record of earnings and the earnings of other trade professionals, his future earnings are speculative,” and he “never identified a single opportunity with specified terms that was actually available to him and which he declined to accept because of CBS’ actions.”