Channel 7 Perth’s beloved weeknight anchors, Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr, have been certified by the Guinness World Records as the longest serving television news anchor duo, with an official record of 36 years and 247 days.
Affectionately known in Perth as just ‘Rick and Sue’ the duo have seen changes in the media landscape, changes in the political climate and changes in technology, but for the people of Perth they remain a constant, trusted and reliable partnership that has steadied the people of WA through triumph and tragedy – they are real icons.
Their longevity, integrity, respect, community service and chemistry has led to a deep sense of trust within the WA community. That trust has led to phenomenal ratings across their partnership, where they double, sometimes triple their competition in Perth, which in turn, bumps up the national average and contributes highly to Seven News being number 1 nationally.
In this podcast Rick and Sue chat about:
- The 37 year milestone – are they striving for the 40?
- The process to go through to get a Guinness World Record
- The team from NBC in America they passed to get the record
- The secret of a good television marriage
- Career start for Rick and Sue
- Sue covering Cyclone Tracy 2 weeks into her first job in radio
- The trust of the people in Perth
- The “Rick and Sur” effect on nightly ratings
- The impact of Chris Mainwaring’s death
- Delivering emotional news stories
- On the road reporting
- Lindt Café siege rolling coverage
- Most memorable news story
- Uniqueness of WA media landscape
- Competition v support for others in the Perth television market
- Bloopers
- Private lives and hobbies
- Plans for retirement
- Job offers elsewhere
In a fun moment, Susannah reveals whether Rick and herself have or have not had plastic surgery.
As a Perth resident myself, it was an honour and privilege to chat to the duo that has been a constant in our community for nearly 40 years.
Congratulations and well done on your 37th year milestone and recognition in the Guinness World Records
Special thanks to Taryn Onofaro from Seven for her contribution to this podcast.
