Rather would welcome Walters

Dan Rather, who reportedly was rankled by the decision to pair him with Connie Chung on the CBS Evening News in 1995, indicated Tuesday that he would have no misgivings about teaming with Barbara Walters. Asked during an interview with Paula Zahn on the Fox News Channel’s The Edge how he would feel about having Walters co-anchor the nightly newscast with him, Rather replied, “I’d love it. I’d pay cash money to see it happen . . . to sit next to Barbara Walters? You bet. I’d do that any day, any time.” Walters herself said on Monday that she has received offers from other networks since it became known that she was unhappy with ABC’s decision to move her 20/20 magazine show to Wednesday nights from its long-established time slot on Fridays.