However, it is interesting. Les Moonves is the guy that made the call to not run the Reagan movie because he thought it was biased. So there’s precedent for him making smart moves at this network. As to the bottom-line considerations, they’re not going to be felt immediately anyway, and as such, unless I’m told — I mean, I could be totally wrong about that. There already may be ramifications that I’m not aware of, but at this point I don’t think the bottom line of one division, of one company in Viacom, is going to be the overriding thing that affects the way they decide this.
The longer it goes it will of course be a factor, but in the short run my guess is there are a lot of 
So you buy CBS News because they’re reaching X-number of bodies. You’re not buying CBS News because you expect the commercial to actually result in immediate sales. You place your advertising for results-oriented results and in different places. So I don’t know what kind of advertising they get. I can tell you that the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather is trailing in the ratings anyway. Last Friday, Rather got a
So I think this has probably been a concern for a while. If you want to know the truth, my guess is that the, if you want to get into the strict upper tiers in management at Viacom/CBS, what to do with Dan Rather has been on their minds for quite a while and I think he’s announced his retirement or somebody said he’s going to leave in the spring. The days of the networks being identified by an anchor that personifies the network are probably over when these three fly the coop — another sign of how things are changing.
But as to the bottom line, you would expect so. It’s the long way of saying, “Yeah, you would expect it to be a primary concern, but when it comes to these news divisions there’s a little slack that’s extended there because there are so many other divisions to make it up.” In other words, a lot of companies would look at the news division as a “loss leader.” You know, for the longest time — I don’t mean anything personal about this, but let me show you how this loss leader stuff work. Larry King, when he had his overnight mutual radio show, was a loss leader. By a loss leader, what he meant was there’s no advertising overnight.
Everybody was in bed is and so Mutual that ran the networks at that time told stations, “If you want Larry King, you’ve got to run our newscasts in the daytime where our commercials are heard,” and so Mutual made their profit actually with their daily news casts, not with King. You could say King generated it but not with his program. So they lost money in the six hours King was on; they made it back in the earlier part of the day: loss leader, and a lot of that I’m sure is happening with the CBS News division. It’s a loss leader for the rest of the network, and at some point they’re going to want to change that, too. We’ll just have to wait and see. All this will shake out in due course and it won’t be
END TRANSCRIPT
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/28563.htm”>(Eric Fettmann: Rather’s Other Imploding ‘Scoop’)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/morse200409150552.asp”>(NRO’s Anne Morse: Dan Rather has been here before)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/28626.htm”>(New York Post: Guard Cheers Bush)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7114″>(The Washington Prowler: On Life Support)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7104″>(TAS: Forged Press Credentials)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/28578.htm”>(Arnold Ahlert: Dan’s New Peers)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/232283p-199485c.html”>(NYDN: Guard treats Bush as old soldier)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/232342p-199286c.html”>(NYDN: Dan’s ”scoop” as shaky as his status)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/232340p-199470c.html”>(NYDN: W memos fact & fiction)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040915a.html”>(CNS: RNC Suggests DNC Gave CBS the Questionable Memos)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200409\CUL20040915a.html”>(CNS: Media Watchdog Demands Answers From CBS)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ThisHour.asp#CBS Wants Answers – From Bush”>(CNS: CBS Wants Answers – From Bush)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com/WebNews.asp”>(CNS: Document Expert Tells ABC She Saw Problems ”Right Away”)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCommentary.asp?Page=\Commentary\archive\200409\COM20040915a.html”>(CNS Commentary: The Death Knell for Snob Journalism)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCommentary.asp?Page=\Commentary\archive\200409\COM20040915b.html”>(CNS Commentary: CBS Hurt Kerry Campaign by Trying to Help)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/9/14/155001.shtml”>(NewsMax: Bush Praises Guard, Proud of Service)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/9/14/152648.shtml”>(NewsMax: Scrambling CBS Brings In New Memo Expert)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/bush_guard_documents_040914.html”>(ABC: CBS Ignored Concerns About Disputed Records)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=4624&r=qurho”>(WS: If it’s good enough for 60 Minutes, it’s good enough for the DNC)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/editors200409141633.asp”>(NRO Editors: Schieffer should be nixed from the Oct. 13 presidential debate)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nationalreview.com/dkonig/konig200409140915.asp”>(Dave Konig: New Bush Guard memo unearthed!)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/conway200409141022.asp”>(George Conway: BREAKING: Young W. bribed Guard officials with $3 bills)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-cbs15sep15,1,3946256.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials”>(LA Times Editorial: “CBS Was Had”)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/30280.htm”>(John Podhoretz: CBS Forges Ahead)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/30293.htm”>(New York Post Editorial: Stop The Stonewall, Dan)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040914a.html”>(Alleged CBS Source May Carry Old Grudge Against Bush)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040914b.html”>(CBS Critic Bernard Goldberg Compares Dan Rather to Richard Nixon)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ThisHour.asp#Report: Expert Says He Did Not Authenticate Killian Documents”>(Report: Expert Says He Did Not Authenticate Killian Documents)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ThisHour.asp#NY Times: CBS Staffers Deeply Concerned About Rather’s Report”>(NY Times: CBS Staffers Deeply Concerned About Rather’s Report)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7104″>(TAS: Forged Press Credentials)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/12/102130.shtml”>(MRC: CBS Won’t Deny Kerry Link to Docs)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040914.asp#1″>(MRC: Dan Rather in Crisis, Day 6 )</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/press/2004/press20040913.asp”>(MRC: Bozell Challenges CBS: Apologize, Come Clean, Expose Forgers)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/notablequotables/2004/nq20040913.asp”>(MRC: The Liberal Media vs. The GOP)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=4621&r=pzgwf”>(Weekly Standard: Rather Bad)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=4617&r=fgqgo”>(Weekly Standard: The Burden of Belief)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=4620&r=rhewb”>(Weekly Standard: The AP: At It Again)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0914/p09s01-coop.html”>(CSM: Campaign panic in perfect Times Roman)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7099″>(TAS: Here We Go Some More)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18982-2004Sep13.html”>(Washington Post: Expert Cited by CBS Says He Didn’t Authenticate Papers)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz200409131046.asp”>(Stanley Kurtz: From Biased to Partisan)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/opinion/13safire.html?pagewanted=print&position”>(New York Times Op-Ed: Those Discredited Memos -William Safire)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nysun.com/article/1610″>(New York Sun: Laughably Fake)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/30241.htm”>(NYP: Bush’s Accuser had “Breakdowns”)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA452516?verticalid=311&industry=Top+of+the+Week&industryid=1024″>Broadcasting & Cable: Rather Defends Memos, But…)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.washingtondispatch.com/spectrum/archives/000568.html”>(Washington Dispatch: Bush Memos Defended by CBS and Dan Rather)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611″>(John Fund: CBS stonewalls as “guys in pajamas” uncover a fraud)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040911.asp#1″>(MRC: Dan Rather Distorts Evidence of Forgery)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/press/2004/press20040910.asp”>(MRC Press Release: CBS Must Come Clean on Fraudulent Memos)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040913.asp#1″>(MRC: Fret Forgery Issue Distracts from ?Bush’s Questionable Record?)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040913.asp#2″>(MRC: More Mainstream Outlets Pursue Evidence CBS?s Memos Are Fakes)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040913.asp#3″>(MRC: Hume: CBS?s Memos ?Look Almost Certainly…Like Forgeries? )</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040913.asp#3″>(MRC: Wash Post, NBC, CNN and FNC Feature Experts Who See Forgeries)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040911.asp#3″>(MRC: Earlier in Day Rather Paints Effort to Suppress Truth-Telling)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040910.asp#1″>(MRC: Nets Concede Memos May Be Fake, But Only After Reciting Them)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040910.asp#2″>(MRC: Less to Forgery Than Content in AM, ABC Suggests GOP ?Set UP?)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.mediaresearchcenter.com/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040910.asp#3″>(MRC: CNN Fails to Note Left-Wing Views of Prof Cited to Undercut Bush)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/12/73008.shtml”>(Newsmax: Only One Expert Sided With ’60 Minutes’)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/12/102130.shtml”>(Newsmax: CBS Won’t Deny Kerry Link to Docs)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/12/180141.shtml”>(Newsweek: Key CBS Source Was Disgruntled Guard Officer)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/11/100726.shtml”>(Newsmax: 60 Minutes Hid ”Pro-Bush” Witness)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/opinion/13safire.html”>(NYT: Those Discredited Memos)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/12/politics/campaign/12guard.html”>(NYT: An Ex-Officer Now Believes Guard Memo Isn’t Genuine)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7096″>(The American Prowler: Anatomy of a Forgery)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com/bozellcolumn/archive/col20010405.asp”>(CNS: Dan Rather, Democratic Fundraiser -04.05.01)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040910b.html”>(CNS: More Problems Surface With ’60 Minutes’ Documents)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ThisHour.asp#’Shell Shock’ at CBS Over Possibly Fraudulent Documents”>(CNS: “Shell Shock” at CBS Over Possibly Fraudulent Documents)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040909d.html”>(CNS: 60 Minutes Documents on Bush Might Be Fake)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200409\POL20040910a.html”>(CNS: Kerry Campaign Denies Coordinating Attacks on Bush’s Guard Record)</a>
<a target=new href=”http://www.cnsnews.com/WebNews.asp”>(CNS: Widow Casts Doubt on Documents Aired by CBS News)</a
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