CBS Moves to Dismiss Rather Lawsuit
November 16, 2007

CBS isn't taking the recently filed lawsuit by their former newsman Dan Rather very well, filing a motion yesterday to dismiss the case. Dan Rather has sued CBS for $70 million and claimed that the network violated his contract. They're furious and they lashed back this week in court claiming that Dan Rather waited way too long to complain and they slammed the arguments by the legendary newsman that he was used as a scapegoat in the now-legendary "Memogate" scandal. In that situation, there was a story later proved false about George W. Bush's military record. Rather claims that he was used in that situation. CBS denies it.

CBS said in its filing against the Dan Rather case, "There was no such nefarious scheme, and Rather's allegations bear no resemblance to reality. CBS and its executives are not now, and never have been, out to get Dan Rather." They claimed that the suit by Rather was, courtesy of E!, "a regrettable attempt...to remain in the public eye, to settle old scores and perceived slights, based on an array of far-fetched allegations." Ouch.

The CBS report was 25 pages long and the network claimed that the defamation parts of Dan Rather's case should be dismissed just because they're two years old and therefore "are barred by New York's one-year-statute of limitations for defamation."

The lawsuit filed by Dan Rather names CBS, CEO Leslie Moonves, and former CBS News chief Andrew Heyward and seeks $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages. CBS was dismayed and released a statement on Thursday after their dismissal filing which called Dan Rather, "one of our most valued colleagues. That is why we at CBS are mystified and saddened by the baseless and self-serving allegations and distortions of fact raised in his lawsuit."

Dan Rather and his team have already fired back, saying simply, as quoted by E!, "It is unfortunate that CBS is trying to delay discovery of the facts and the trial of Dan's claims. We are confident that the court will reject these tactics."

The 76-year-old Dan Rather was the host of CBS Evening News for 24 years from 1981 to 2005 and was also a regular contributor to the network's 60 Minutes.