Cronkite Unbound

By DAVID ELLIS

Does Walter Cronkite nurse a grudge against his controversial successor, Dan Rather? In the past, the retired CBS anchorman was mostly mum on the subject. Now Cronkite, who has been relegated to an infinitesimal on-air role since he stepped down in 1981, let slip some frank criticism at a Manhattan gathering last week. When asked about his network's coverage of the Persian Gulf crisis, during which Rather landed an exclusive interview with Saddam Hussein, Cronkite acidly observed that Saddam "saved Rather's skin." While conceding that the younger man is a good reporter, Cronkite believes Rather has "blown it" as an anchor. "He's stiff and uncomfortable. Look at the ratings . . . If it weren't for developments in the gulf, he might be out of a job by now." Cronkite sees Rather's month-long sojourn in the Middle East as a grandstand ploy. "Why didn't he turn it over to a correspondent?" he asks. Cronkite, a CBS board member, confirms that the news division has begun yet another round of belt tightening, and contends that CBS News already can't cover events adequately.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart