Dan Rather has announced that he will step down as the anchor of the 'CBS Evening News' in March, the 24th anniversary of his taking over the job from Walter Cronkite.
Rather has been under pressure since he ran and stood by a story on '60 Minutes' about George W. Bush's service in the National Guard during Vietnam which turned out to be based on forged documents. While Rather made no mention of the document scandal, most people feel it was a factor in his decision to step down at this time.
Rather, now 73, has been with CBS News for more than 40 years and came to prominance covering the Watergate Scandal in the early 70s. He indicated that he would remain with CBS News as a correspondent for '60 Minutes.'
'I have always been and remain a 'hard news' investigative reporter at heart,' Rather said. 'I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full time.'
