Dan Rather stepping down as CBS anchor

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Veteran TV newscaster Dan Rather announced Tuesday he will leave his post as anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News."

Rather will step down in March after 24 years, but he will continue as a "60 Minutes" correspondent, as well as working on other projects, CBS said.

"I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News," Rather said in a statement. "Along the way, I've had the honor of working with some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in the world, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue doing so in the years ahead."

"NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw, who worked alongside Rather when both men were White House correspondents for their respective networks, applauded his peer's decision.

"I'm pleased for Dan that he's come to a conclusion about his own life, as I have in my case," Brokaw told UPI. "Dan and I have known each other competitively and personally for a long, long time. On the competitive side there have been tiny bumps along the road, but when you think of all we've been through, ours has been a good relationship."

Brokaw ends his 21-year tenure as NBC's evening news anchor Dec. 1.