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Dan Rather: Katie Couric Probably Won't Invite Me To Her Daytime Show (VIDEO)

WATCH: Rather's Prediction About Couric's New Show

Dan Rather doesn't expect to get an invitation to Katie Couric's new daytime show any time soon.

The former "CBS Evening News" anchor appeared on Wendy Williams' show to talk about his new book "Rather Outspoken" on Friday. He recounted his controversial exit from the network in 2005, insisting that his Bush National Guard story was true and that corporate media is "in bed with" government interests.

This time, Williams also asked Rather to weigh in on his past swipes at Katie Couric's tenure on "Evening News." In 2007, he had said that CBS News' mistake was to "to dumb it down, tart it up" in hopes of increasing ratings.

On Friday, he said that most of his criticism had not been directed at Couric, but people who wanted to take the program in the direction of "Today."

"I don't excuse Katie Couric, but it was really the people who hired her saying... 'we want you to make softer news,'" Rather said. He called Couric "a great interviewer" for whom he had "great respect."

When asked if he would be willing to appear on her upcoming daytime show, Rather said that he "absolutely" would. "But I think you're more likely to see water run uphill than you are to see that happen," he joked.

Years after Rather's 2007 comments, Couric got some payback in the form of a Youtube video mocking the former anchor.

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Before You Go

Dan Rather about town
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: American journalist Dan Rather (C) walks off stage with First Amendment lawyer James Goodale (L) after accepting the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award from at the Committee to Protect Journalists' International Freedom Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on November 22, 2011 in New York City. Four journalists from Pakistan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Mexico were recipients of the 2011 International Press Freedom Awards and Dan Rather from the United States received the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award. Editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who was awarded the International Press Freedom Awards in 2009 while imprissoned in Azerbaijan, received his award upon release. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images for Committee to Protect Journalists) (credit:Getty)
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US journalist Dan Rather after presenting the Documentary award at the 39th International Emmy Awards November 21, 2011 in New York. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: American journalist Dan Rather (L) accepts the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award from First Amendment lawyer James Goodale (R) at the Committee to Protect Journalists' International Freedom Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on November 22, 2011 in New York City. Four journalists from Pakistan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Mexico were recipients of the 2011 International Press Freedom Awards and Dan Rather from the United States received the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award. Editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who was awarded the International Press Freedom Awards in 2009 while imprissoned in Azerbaijan, received his award upon release. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images for Committee to Protect Journalists) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: American journalist Dan Rather speaks after accepting the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award at the Committee to Protect Journalists' International Freedom Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on November 22, 2011 in New York City. Four journalists from Pakistan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Mexico were recipients of the 2011 International Press Freedom Awards and Dan Rather from the United States received the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award. Editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who was awarded the International Press Freedom Awards in 2009 while imprissoned in Azerbaijan, received his award upon release. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images for Committee to Protect Journalists) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: Awardees Mansoor al-Jamri (L) of Bahrain, Javier Valdez Cardenas (2-L) of Mexico, Natalya Radina (3-L) of Belarus, Dan Rather (3-R) of the United States, Umar Cheema (2-R) of Pakistan, and Eynulla Fatullayev (R) of Azerbaijan, stand together at a cocktail reception during the Committee to Protect Journalists' International Freedom Awards Dinner on November 22, 2011 in New York City. Four journalists from Pakistan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Mexico were recipients of the 2011 International Press Freedom Awards and Dan Rather from the United States received the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award. Editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who was awarded the International Press Freedom Awards in 2009 while imprissoned in Azerbaijan, received his award upon release. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images for Committee to Protect Journalists) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 05: (Left to right) Journalist Dan Rather, journalist Nick Clooney, and actor George Clooney attend the after party for the premiere of 'The Ides of March' at the Metropolitan Club on October 5, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 05: Dan Rather attends the premiere of 'The Ides of March' at the Ziegfeld Theater on October 5, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 18: Dan Rather accepts the International Television award during the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Center For Justice & Human Rights Book And Journalism Awards at the United States Institute of Peace on May 18, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 25: Billye Aaron, journalist Dan Rather, and baseball legend Hank Aaron attend the 2011 Trustees Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement dinner and presentation at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on February 25, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 25: Journalist Dan Rather attends the 2011 Trustees Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement dinner and presentation at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on February 25, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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Dan Rather speaks to the crowd of thousands at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial dedication in a ceremony hosted by the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation in West Potomac Park, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/The News Journal, Suchat Pederson) (credit:AP)
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NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 17: Anchorman Dan Rather attends the 'Shutter Island' special screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre on February 17, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - JULY 23: Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather (R),who succeeded Walter Cronkite at the celebrated news show, is interviewed by the media after Walter Cronkite's funeral service July 23, 2009 in New York City. Cronkite, who reported from around the world and once was known as 'the most trusted man in America,' died last Friday, July 17, at his Manhattan home at the age of 92. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: News Anchor Dan Rather attends the Broadway opening night of 'Soul of Shaolin' at the Marquis Theatre on January 15, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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NEW YORK - MAY 8: Donna Hanover and Dan Rather pose at the 7th Annual Women Who Care Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 8, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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MANCHESTER, NH - APRIL 25: US Senator John McCain (L) (R-AZ) jokes with reporter Dan Rather on his campaign bus April 25, 2007 in Manchester, New Hampshire. McCain officially announced his bid for the presidency with a campaign rally and kicked off a four-day tour with stops in South Carolina, Iowa, Nevada and Arizona. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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WASHINGTON - JULY 13: In this handout from NBC Universal, Dan Rather of HDNet (C) speaks as he joins 'The Chris Matthews Show' round table with (L) Chris Matthews, host of 'The Chris Matthews Show,' BBC Washington correspondent Katty Kay (2nd L) and NBC News' chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell (R) during Rather's first ever network TV appearance since leaving CBS, July 13, 2006 in Washington, DC. Rather participates in two shows, airing the weekends of July 15 and 22 (please check local listings). (Photo by Sam Kittner/NBC via Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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PASADENA, CA - JULY 11: (L-R) Dan Rather answers reporters' questions at the 2006 Summer Television Critics Press Tour at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on July 11, 2006 in Pasadena, California. Rather has signed on to produce and host a weekly news program on media mogul Mark Cuban's HDNet premium cable channel. (Photo Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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Former CBS News anchor and host of a show on HDNET Dan Rather speaks during a ceremony for recipients of the FAXIE Awards, which honor the year's best communications initiatives in the cable television industry, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2008. AFP PHOTO/SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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PASADENA, CA - JULY 11: (L-R) Dan Rather and Mark Cuban attend the 2006 Summer Television Critics Press Tour at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on July 11, 2006 in Pasadena, California. Rather has signed on to produce and host a weekly news program on Cuban's HDNet premium cable channel. (Photo Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
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