Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather and the network are talking about his leaving the corporation that has employed him for the last 44 years before his contract expires in November. But he might have his fingers in a new pie, one being backed by billionaire Mark Cuban.

Some excerpts from the NYT story:

.... He was seriously mulling a new venture that, at least initially, relatively few viewers would be able to see: he would develop and be the host of a weekly interview program on a high-definition television channel known as HDNet.

The offer, he said, had come directly from Mark Cuban, the unbridled owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, who was a co-founder of HDNet in 2001.

Mr. Rather said he had been weighing several other offers for work, including two from what he described as major broadcast or cable networks. But as of yesterday, Mr. Rather said, "what I expect to do, what I hope to do, is bring this HDNet thing to fruition."

Mr. Rather, who was anchor of the "CBS Evening News" for nearly a quarter-century and who, at one point also served as a correspondent on the news magazines "60 Minutes II" and "48 Hours," acknowledged that it would "take some adjustment" for him to get used to being seen by perhaps tens of thousands of viewers in a week, as opposed to millions.

But he added that "the opportunity to build something from the ground up, I think, will have its own satisfactions."

Mr. Rather also said that in April, in anticipation of what seemed to be his imminent departure from CBS, he had formed a company — he named it News and Guts, in a nod to what he considers the pillars of his professional life — through which he plans to create several other journalism ventures, including, perhaps, a blog. (Though he has not yet settled on a title, he says he has ruled out one: "I'd Rather Say This.") ...

Asked in an e-mail message yesterday to confirm Mr. Rather's description of the offer, Mr. Cuban sent back the following response last night: "All I can tell you is that we have had some conversations to do some very exciting things. Unshackled from the talking head world where earnings per share mean more than finding the truth, the opportunities for HDNet and Dan are unlimited."

Mr. Rather said he had been given assurances by Mr. Cuban, should he accept the offer, that he would have complete, unfettered control of his program. "It's a situation," he said, "where there are not very large — let me put it this way — corporate and political complexities."

 The article makes note of the fact that Rather has seen Good Night, and Good Luck -- the film largely about the legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow -- five times. Cuban was involved in financing the film.

It also touched on the 60 Minutes II report on U.S. President George W. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard that was based in part on memos that could not be authenticated, and CBS President Leslie Moonves' statement he didn't want to stick with the "voice of God, single anchor" approach -- although that's eventually what he did, hiring Katie Couric from NBC.

Asked in the interview about Mr. Moonves's remarks, Mr. Rather said, "My problem with the 'voice of God' thing was that it was meant disrespectfully."

"They talk about wanting a break with the past," he added. "Look at the Murrow film. I don't want to break with that past."