Old anchors don’t die. They just go to digital cable. Dan Rather, who has survived war reporting, crazy cab rides, muggings, on-air battles with presidents and an unceremonial dumping at CBS News, now takes his inimitable brand of journalism to Mark Cuban’s HDNet, where he’ll host “Dan Rather Reports” and do occasional documentaries. We talked to the veteran newsman by phone last week:

Q: I know this is a busy time for you, but you’re always busy. Do you ever take a vacation?

A: By most people’s standards, I guess my life looks hectic, but I’ve never considered it that way. What other people see as hectic, I see as joy. I do love to be in the outdoors whenever I have the time. The closest thing to heaven for me is a very nice trout stream. I have fished a couple times up in northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border, and had a great time.

Why are you and Mark Cuban a good team?

I was looking for who I thought might be the next Bill Paley (founder of CBS) or the next Ted Turner, and if I didn’t find that in Mark, then I found the next best thing. He’s as direct as a punch in the face. He comes right at you, and hard news needs backers who don’t back down and don’t back away. Among the first things he said to me was that he was willing to give me full editorial control. I figuratively rolled my eyes, but he later put it in writing. I think that’s unique in journalism.

But everyone needs an editor. If you have full control, who’s checking on you?

The first person I hired was Wayne Nelson, who was with CBS for more than 20 years and will be my executive producer. We’ve been in a lot of tight places together in datelines long forgotten. We’re simpatico. He’s the conscience of the show, as I hope I will be. Everything that goes on the air will go through at least three editorial processes. We also have an outside person who’s knowledgeable in both law and the news who will go over everything.

Mark has described the new show as “Dan Rather unleashed” and you have said you hope to do stories you couldn’t do at CBS. Are network newsgatherers handcuffed?

I wouldn’t use that term. Let me make it explicitly clear: I had 44 great years at CBS and I loved every minute of it – the good times, the bad times, the hard times. However, there’s no question that all the networks are owned by global megacompanies. The supercorporates have so many outside interests that they run the risk of, and sometimes they do, permeate the news organization. Increasingly, anything that’s controversial is deemed bad for business.

Did CBS ever tell you not to do a particular story?

No. But by words and by deed, they showed that there were stories they wish we hadn’t done and they were reluctant to put them on the air. We had the Abu Ghraib story as a worldwide exclusive, but they never promoted it, they never repeated it and they delayed it three weeks. It’s important to give CBS credit. They did put it on the air.

What do you think of blogs?

The blogosphere is filled with all kinds of different things. Some provide news and insight, but many have no accountability. They can put anything down they please and smear at will.

You yourself have been the victim of that.

I would not use the word “victim.” Put me down as saying I’m not going to address that.

What about TV news? What do you think about the changes at CBS?

Quite frankly, I’ve been traveling so much in the past six to eight weeks that I haven’t seen much. I know from the time I transitioned into the “CBS Evening News” chair that it takes a while for a broadcast to settle in. The time to assess change will be around the end of February.

You turn 75 on Halloween.

When I was young, I thought that was a great thing. Now that I’m at the age where I don’t want people to know that I’m getting older, I’m not so sure.

You’ve had a lot of strange things happen to you over the years. Do you think it’s because you were born on that day?

(Laughs.) I never thought of that. Anyone who has lived as long as I have has incidents. The difference is that when you’re in the public eye, they tend to get overblown. I’m sure you know lots of people who have had more weird situations than I have.