James Brady of Forbes -- but formerly of CBS -- meditates on the Rather lawsuit with a healthy dose of twilight-colored nostalgia. Despite being in third place, CBS News does have a glorious history. What happened? How did we come to the point where CBS' former anchorman, after engaging in an ongoing "manly catfight" with the company's CEO over the past year, sues the network for $70 million?

Brady lays the blame for the Tiffany network's woes squarely on the shoulders of Larry Tisch. From Forbes:

''Maybe things began to change when Larry Tisch bought control and began to pare back news. Paley was a rich man who knew the value of beautiful things (his wife Babe was one of the most beautiful women in New York), and knew that news didn't make the big bucks, entertainment did. But he understood that news was the right thing to do, if not the most profitable, and he insisted the news operation be top quality. Larry didn't come out of that culture and didn't understand. The canny Tisch knew the value of money. Period.''

Is Edward R. Murrow presently spinning in his grave?

(image via broadcasting and cable via museum.tv)