European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 16 the stars and stripes monday March 17, 1986 the in the land Bymark Schwed United press International be would expect to find a finely tuned machine humming away at the bastion of lbs news on West 57th Street in new York City the place where Dan rather hangs his Anchor hat. Instead there is rather kicking around in shiny Black Cowboy boots and Blue jeans that have lost their crease. His Blue Anchor Blazer is draped Over the chair behind the half Moon Anchor desk awaiting the next rendition of lbs evening news. At news time below the Cardigan under the Blazer behind the desk there Are the boots and the jeans. Calmness in the Eye of the storm comes Only to someone who for 200 weeks in a Row five straight years As of March 10, has held the envious position of being the Best news shark in the land. No. 1 in news. The Nielsen ratings that prove it Are posted just around the Corner from his office. Countless other polls rank him More believable than president Reagan More trustworthy than Tom Brokaw at Abc or Peter Jennings at Abc. It is All kind of funny considering that rather never really wanted to be an Anchor. I m not a natural Anchor person rather said. God did not put me on this Earth to be an Anchor. God put me Here to be a lbs evening news Anchorman Dan rather up photo that s a Nice thought but rather is an Anchor first then managing editor of lbs evening news then a reporter. Rather s Job is to hold Down the fort while the troops Are out securing the scalps. Fame spoils it for the reporter and rather s Eminence gets in the Way of Street reporting. He can however Call by first name people who would t even talk to the Ordinary Hack on the Street. The Power comes with the turf. Anchoring May not sound like such a Tough Job for the Bucks. You come in read through the news sit through the meetings decide what goes on. And How Long and the rest is up to the writers Field Crews reporters producers technicians and Union men who must flick on the lights Over his Anchor desk. But there is pressure. There was pressure. There still is pressure rather said about replacing the Man known to millions of lbs news viewers As Uncle Walter Cronkite. Some think being an Anchor is As easy As falling off a log. I think it s closer to falling off a Cliff he said. The ground floor of West 57th Street is rather s Home away from Home a Gritty lean and mean newsroom with no frills no techno fluff no Glitz just the hard Core instruments of news clanking typewriters Banks of to monitors wire machines papers and people. Such trappings would seem to generate an atmosphere of steady tension As hard edged As a Marine sergeant s bark. But what you get there is news with a Grin. The top newsmen in the Field of broadcast journalism lounge in sweaters a rather trademark and open collars. Only two neckties were visible in the newsroom not counting executive producers and anchors. These Guys work with the quiet Confidence that comes with winning Success. Why Are they smiling because it s fun being no. 1 even More fun when it s no. 1 for 200 straight weeks no. 1 after Walter Cronkite. If you win anything for five years straight i think you have some justification to pause said rather. He has cause for pause As he reclines in a wooden chair in his cramped but cozy office. A picture of one of his predecessors Edward r. Murrow hangs near thee trance door. It has been a Long but straight Road to the top. Born 55 years ago in Wharton Texas rather majored in journalism taught journalism worked for the associated press and United press International wire services two radio stations and a newspaper before to news Ever came into the picture. Since taking the Helm lbs evening news has become rather s own baby with the help of his three those phases were the transition from Cronkite to rather the improvement of computer graphics and craftsmanship and finally to have the broadcast reflect More directly my own style of every broadcast has to be a headline service plus rather said with emphasis on the plus. We Only have 21 minutes. We re All news. We re a hard news outfit. But headlines afe no longer enough. We also have to have the that plus includes his recent trip to America s heartland for a report on the plight of the Farmers. It does not mean have satellite will travel. Although news has always been the name of rather s game ratings Are the measure by which the checks Are handed out. And rather is the ratings King. I Don t want them to be the Only Standard by which we Are judged he said. It is dangerous to have ratings As the Only Standard of measurement. But anybody in journalism learns that you have to care about rather strides through the newsroom with the familiarity and Confidence of a lion in his Den or a family Man in his living room. He is a Man who shows respect for the news As Well As for his boots. Rather is Calm sipping Black Coffee from a Plain White Mug even smiling less than 60 minutes before 18 million people will tune him in to find out what happened in the world s Day. He starts Many of his sentences with i be said this before because he has. For rather is a newsman who has been much interviewed As much As a president or even Henry Kissinger. Indeed he is More popular than presidents and he is the most trusted and respected newsman in America according to a Usa today poll. He is the most respected television Anchor Washington journalism review Survey one of the most influential decision makers in America news and world report leadership Survey and More believable than president Reagan times Mirror a a Survey. He seems to Wear Success As comfortably As flannel pyjamas and it is not easy to maintain one s perspective when the annual paycheck approaches $2.5 million. Small potatoes for a texan maybe but the big leagues in the Anchor world. You begin hoping you can make a living said rather. Then you get greedy. You say just give me one the big Story then you want rather has had it All. In his 24-year career As a reporter As a 60 minutes correspondent As an Anchor rather has had the privilege of handling some of the most important stories of his time the assassination of John f. Kennedy the Moon Landing Southern racial strife Vietnam president Johnson s trip to Asia president Nixon s trips to China and the soviet Union vice president Spiro Agnew s resignation watergate the shooting of Alabama gov. George Wallace National elections primaries caucuses conventions. Since succeeding Cronkite the list has rolled on the Mexico City earthquake the attempted assassination of Reagan the Iran hostage crisis the Beirut truck bomb that killed 249 american military personnel the challenger explosion. Back when the . Servicemen were killed in Beirut after a week of coverage rather s Job was to sum it up and As the Job goes to be the National hand Holder the dispenser of grief. Either his Contact lenses were dirty or rather was crying right there on the air maybe not crying. Maybe he was just on the verge of tears. You got no place to hide rather said about the incident. It affected me deeply. I m an sex Marine you try to hold Back the emotions but i Don t think the audience expects anybody to completely. That s the Mark of a pro How Well you Are Able to do the Job on Days like that after that kind of tragedy you can t hide what you feel. I m no for a broadcast journalist the Premier Job one can have is to be a network Anchorman. For a network Anchorman the Best desk to have is at lbs where tradition of excellence is not just another Public relations Man s lip service. But when such a Peak is traversed there Are two major dangers there is no place to go but Down and being the Best Anchorman Means being a celebrity. The face is As familiar As your own Kin. When you do to every Day said rather there s no place to
