Dan Rather discusses covering the JFK assassination. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company/Getty Images Entertainment)
Dan Rather says reporting on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy nearly 50 years ago helped launch his career, but came with a personal price.
“It certainly changed my life and changed my career, but perhaps more importantly, it changed me as a person and as a professional. I was deeply affected by what happened that day, as almost every American I knew was and remains who was alive and of memory age,” Rather said on WTOP Thursday.
Rather, a young CBS correspondent at the time, remains one of the few living news reporters who were on the ground in Dallas covering the tragedy. On WTOP Thursday, he discussed his AXS TV special commemorating the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death.
Rather addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination, saying that the facts point to that Lee Harvey Oswald was probably the only shooter.
“One gun, one shooter. Oswald was the shooter,” Rather said.
Rather’s former employer CBS News is making headlines after the network admitted Friday it was wrong to trust a “60 Minutes” source who told correspondent Lara Logan he was present at last year’s attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.
Rather, who worked at the network for more than 40 years and was a contributor to “60 Minutes,” says in these kinds of situations, the blame is often attributed to the correspondent, but he says the blame should start at the top of the corporation.
Rather himself faced scrutiny for his disputed report on President George W. Bush’s time in the Texas Air National Guard.
“For the present time, I’m just going to say I’m as interested as anybody else to know what happened, what really happened and why it happened,” Rather said.
Listen to the full interview on WTOP below.
7:40 a.m. – Dan Rather, host and managing editor of AXS TV’s ‘Dan Rather Reports’
Memories from covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy from Dallas.
11:10 p.m. – WTOP’s Paula Wolfson
New guidelines to increase statin drug use
8:10 p.m. – Mike McCarthy, editor-in-chief of DC Magazine
Sweet weekend events around the region
7:40 p.m. Christian Toto, assistant editor at Big Hollywood
Reviewing ‘The Best Man Holiday’
5:10 p.m. David Nather, senior policy reporter for Politico
Obama’s pledge to halt insurance plan cancellations
4:40 p.m. – Catherine Herridge, chief intelligence correspondent, Fox News
Closed-door Benghazi CIA contractors meeting
4:10 p.m. – Susan Page, Washington bureau chief, USA Today
Obama announcement on changes for Obamacare
3:10 p.m. – Janet Bodnar, editor, Kiplinger Personal Finance
6 things you should know about tech warranties
2:20 p.m. – Mike Snider, USA Today Technology reporter
New game systems push technology envelope
Read more: Sony PlayStation 4 terrific, but not yet essential
1:30 p.m. – Rebecca Sinderbrand, Deputy White House editor, POLITICO
Reaction to President Obama’s speech
12:51 p.m. – Dave Ross, commentator
A lie for a lie
11:10 a.m. – Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World Report, alpha consumer blogger
What are the best ways to keep up on recalls and dangerous products?
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10:10 a.m. – Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, personal finance columnist
Make sure you are giving to a legitimate charity before donating to relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan.
Related Link: Washington Post: Do some research before giving to disaster relief
9:10 a.m. – Ronald Kessler, author and former Washington Post reporter
The latest on the scandal involving the secret service agents who tried to retrieve a bullet from a Hays-Adams hotel room.
8:40 a.m. – Jennifer Aument, TransUrban’s general manager of North America
I-495 express lanes celebrate their one-year anniversary. So how else can transportation be improved on the Capital Beltway?
8:20 a.m. – JJ Green, WTOP National Security Correspondent
Relief efforts in the Philippines following the typhoon and how the U.S. military is helping.
7:10 a.m. – Glen Thrush, POLITICO senior writer
Are the members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet losing influence?
Women have come a long way, but Americans still want to work for men
WTOP’s Joan Jones reports.
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How did U.S. tax dollars land in al Qaida-linked pickets?
WTOP’s National Security Correspondent J.J. Green reports.
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