After a couple of days of speculation, CBS News made it official today: Dan Rather is leaving the network after 44 years. His contract was supposed to run out in November, but he negotiated an early release because a) he wasn't being used much and b) he could not get a new contract from the network that guaranteed he would get work.

The network is working on a retrospective of Rather's career, which will air in the fall. They will also make a contribution to his alma mater, Sam Houston University.

So what's Rather's next step? Well, he may work for Mark Cuban's HDNet, or he may do something else. But chances are, this isn't the last we've seen of Gunga Dan.

[via Mediabistro]