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“It’s a long road to Tipperary,” Dan Rather sang, tentatively, in a whisper-soft baritone.  read more »

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HDNet, Mark Cuban's new cable channel, issued a formal statement today rebutting a Radar report that Mary Mapes, the former CBS producer, would be coming on board with Dan Rather. Yesterday, Radar editor Maer Roshan said that his publication's story was "true" and "confirmed." Ms. Mapes said it was "not true" and "hilarious." The statement, attributed to Colette Carey, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for HDNet, reads in its entirety:

"Contrary to several reports in online news outlets, former CBS News '60 Minutes' producer Mary Mapes is not joining the staff of HDNet's investigative news program 'Dan Rather Reports.' HDNet has not had any discussions with Mary Mapes, and there are no plans, now or in the future, for her to join HDNet or 'Dan Rather Reports.'"

—Rebecca Dana

Radar editor Maer Roshan said that he is standing by his magazine's story that former CBS producer Mary Mapes is going to work with Dan Rather at HDNet.

Both Ms. Mapes and HDNet's owner, Mark Cuban, denied the arrangement today "The reporter, who's a trusted one here, did speak to her," Mr. Roshan said this afternoon. "We first got that information about a month ago. It could conceivably be that [Ms. Mapes] doesn't remember. It could also be that maybe that this was going to be official and.... You know? Things happen in a month. I know that this information when we got it was true. It was confirmed by Ms. Mapes." Mr. Roshan further claimed that his reporter—identified only as "FI Staff"—had exchanged e-mails with Ms. Mapes. In them, he said, she suggested people that Radar might hire.

"The idea of making up out of whole cloth a story like that," he said. "Of all the stories to make up that doesn't seem like one that naturally leaps to mind." Reached again at her Dallas home, Ms. Mapes again denied ever having had plans to work for HDNet. "I'm not sure what he's talking about," she said.

She also reiterated that she had never spoken to a Radar reporter. "I've not talked to anyone who called as a reporter from Radar to discuss anything like that."

Ms. Mapes did, however, clarify her position on her familiarity with Radar, the magazine. She knew of its existence. She just had trouble finding the Web site, she said. —Rebecca Dana

Mary Mapes, the former CBS producer chiefly responsible for that network's flawed 2004 report on President Bush's National Guard service, is not joining her former boss, Dan Rather, at the cable channel HDNet. Asked whether she had been offered a job at the network or ever would be, HDNet owner Mark Cuban told the Observer in an e-mail: "Not true. No idea where it came from. As far as the future, I would doubt it."

On Sept. 5, the newly-relaunched Radar website reported that Ms. Mapes would be producing documentaries for the network. The item quoted her as telling a Radar reporter she was "thrilled to be on board" and that "Mark Cuban has told Dan, 'I don't give a damn about ratings. Let's just break news and have some fun breaking balls.'"

Reached Tuesday afternoon at her Dallas home, Ms. Mapes said she was not joining HDNet, had never spoken to a Radar reporter and had never heard of Radar Online. "It's not true," she said, "and I'm entirely puzzled by the quotes they have from me. No one's talked to me. I didn't say that." The story appeared in the Fresh Intelligence section of Radar Online. "They totally made it up," Ms. Mapes. "It's hilarious." Radar editor Maer Roshan and Fresh Intelligence editor Chris Tennant did not immediately return calls for comment. --Rebecca Dana

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