‘Dan Rather Reports’ set for tonight

Dan Rather has gone digital. He is returning to television tonight with “Dan Rather Reports,” his new weekly magazine available in just the 4 million satellite and cable homes reached by media mogul Mark Cuban’s high-definition channel HDNet.

By contrast, “CBS Evening News,” which Rather anchored for 24 years, reaches virtually all the nation’s 111 million TV homes.

Despite the numbers, his new venture is commanding attention beyond the handful who will catch its premiere as Rather, who in June left CBS News after 44 years, is beginning a new chapter at age 75.

Exactly what viewers will see tonight won’t be locked down until the last minute, Rather says. Subjects are likely to include Iraq, Afghanistan, the economic squeeze on middle-income families and politics.

“I see this as a pioneering experience,” Rather says.