It's over. After 44 years, Dan Rather will leave CBS.

Anchor of "CBS Evening News" for a record 24 years until being forced out in March 2005 by the Memogate scandal, Rather had been fighting to stay at the network in some "meaningful" capacity, but the network wanted him gone.

"If it had worked out for me to be an important contributor to CBS, I would have liked that," Rather said.

"The work has not turned out what I hoped it would be, and under those circumstances, the network executives decided that I should go on to the next step of my work."

The 74-year-old newsman said he doesn't view his departure with disappointment.

"My view of it is I'm a pro, and it's a business, and I'm focusing on the future," said Rather, who added that he is excited about other opportunities. "That's where my focus is. I tend to be an optimist by nature and by experience."

Many inside CBS feel that Rather triggered his own demise by defending his flawed "60 Minutes II" report in September '04 that questioned President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, even after the authenticity of the documents used in the piece could not be proved.

Unlike several of his coworkers in the scandal, Rather escaped firing. But though Rather apologized to viewers, his fate within CBS had been sealed.

Like virtually all CBS executives, network czar Les Moonves, once a Rather supporter, had distanced himself from the newsman in recent months.

After building his reputation by going anywhere in the world for a hot story — especially hurricanes — Rather was turned down last fall when he asked to cover Hurricane Katrina and for trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Instead, Rather paid for his own Middle East trek about two months ago, visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates over 10 days "to keep up my sources and contacts," he said.

Rather's last "60 Minutes" piece, on the Whole Foods empire, ran June 4.

At CBS, the few who would go on the record were restrained, to put it mildly.

"It's a sad story," said outgoing "60 Minutes" ace Mike Wallace, 88, a vocal Rather critic in the past. "He's a good man. He was a wonderful reporter. He remains a wonderful reporter."

Said "60 Minutes"' Ed Bradley: "I feel sorry for Dan, because he's not happy. This isn't what he wanted. I think anybody would like to go out on their own terms. I'm sure he's sorry that didn't happen. I commiserate with him because of that. It's a very, very complicated situation."

Speaking of complicated situations, Bradley just signed a three-year deal after some bumpy negotiations.

"The journey wasn't the easiest, but the destination was wonderful once you got there," said Bradley, who joined the news magazine show in 1981.

A current CBS correspondent labels Rather "the most influential TV reporter since Edward R. Murrow," and said he deserved a graceful exit.

The tragedy, according to some at CBS, is that Rather, for whatever reason, refuses to accept a lesser role that would keep him at the network.

"60 Minutes" creator Don Hewitt and legendary former anchor Walter Cronkite, both nudged out of their positions, still are under contract and maintain offices at CBS News, though their duty is light.

Rather wants to work hard. If he can't do it at CBS, he'll do it somewhere else.

But no matter where he ends up, Rather will forever be known as a CBS newsman, the correspondent said. "You can let him leave, but CBS News is burned onto his forehead."

Gail Shister, of the Knight Ridder News Service, contributed to this report. Rather's quote on his departure was contributed by Matea Gold of the Los Angeles Times.