After 44 years at CBS News, including a rough year and a half of disputes and difficulties, newsman Dan Rather is leaving, possibly as soon as next week.

Rather made his decision public yesterday, ending weeks of speculation about his departure from the network, where he had most recently served as a correspondent on "60 Minutes."

There had been rumors for months that CBS would not renew his contract, and that was apparently accelerated by a Washington Post article yesterday, in which an unnamed CBS executive said there was no room for Rather in the CBS newsroom. Yesterday Rather said he is merely giving the network the resolution it was seeking.
   
According to reports, Rather's agent is close to reaching a deal with the network for his departure. CBS so far has issued no comment on the topic except to confirm that Rather will be leaving.
   
Rather's position has been uncertain ever since the September 2004 Memogate scandal over his "60 Minutes II" report on President George W. Bush's service in the National Guard. The truth of the report was called into question after the authenticity of the documents on which the report was based could not be confirmed.
   
Under pressure over Memogate, Rather stepped down from the "CBS Evening News" anchor chair in March 2005. His ratings for the newscast had been sinking for years.

He then became a correspondent on "60 Minutes," where he appeared to receive less than half the airtime other correspondents received.

Rather has repeatedly said that, even at age 74, he has plenty of energy and wants to continue reporting hard news, and he apparently has attracted interest from other TV shows.

But many think that CBS has been hoping for Rather to make his exit for months. After Memogate, very few at CBS stepped up to his defense, and he was publicly criticized by Walter Cronkite and “60 Minutes’” Mike Wallace.

New CBS News president Sean McManus reportedly has not met with Rather since taking the position last fall, and the network seemed determine to force Rather to make the decision rather than outright canning him.

Among other reasons, the network wants to clear the way for incoming "60 Minutes" correspondents Katie Couric, who is also taking over the "Evening News" anchor spot, and Anderson Cooper of CNN.
   
Rather had occupied the "Evening News" anchor seat since 1981, when he replaced Cronkite. As a reporter, he shot to fame with his coverage of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.