Rick Ardon
| Rick Ardon | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 4 March 1959 |
| Occupation | Seven News newsreader |
| Spouse(s) | Erin Ardon |
Rick Ardon (born 4 March 1959 in Perth, Western Australia), is a news presenter on Seven News in Perth, Western Australia. He has a daughter, who works for TV station GWN7.
On 16 February 2015, Ardon and his longtime co-presenter Susannah Carr celebrated three decades (30 years) consecutively as co-anchors for 7 News Perth.
The on-air duo are only surpassed by WNBC former co-anchors Sue Simmons & Chuck Scarborough, with a 32-year partnership.
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Education
Ardon commenced primary school at the Sacred Heart Primary School, Highgate, in 1965 and transferred in 1969 to Christian Brothers High School, Highgate, where he completed his primary and secondary schooling, leaving in 1976.
Media career
Ardon began his media career at the State's daily paper, The West Australian, where he was Cadet Journalist of the Year in 1977. In 1978 he made the move to electronic broadcasting, joining television station TVW-7 as a news journalist. By the end of the year he was also acting as relief newsreader and was rapidly promoted from the minor weekend bulletins to a regular weeknight news presenter role.
His time as a journalist at the Seven Network has seen him cover a number of significant stories, from the Gulf War of 1990–91 to the Bali Bombings of 2005 and the subsequent Amrozi bin Nurhasyim trial.
Other overseas assignments include the Monaco Grand Prix and the Cannes Film Festival. During the Sydney Olympics in 2000 Ardon presented the news to Western Australians from the Olympic Stadium. His on-screen work has been rewarded with 10 Logie Awards as Western Australia's Most Popular TV Personality. In addition to his news-presenting role he has also written/produced three documentaries for the station.
Achievements
- Lives in the Balance – The story of 114 whales stranded off the WA Coast.
- Riviera Rich and Raunchy – A look into the life of those on the French Riviera.
- A documentary which he himself filmed on the Pacific.
- Led a question-and-answer session with the Dalai Lama at the Perth Arena in June 2015.
Ardon lives by the beach in Perth, allowing him to indulge in a favourite pastime, surfing.
Business interests
In 2002, Rick Ardon's wife, Erin Ardon, received approval from the City of Stirling to operate a Bed and Breakfast.[1] The Beach Manor Bed and Breakfast is operated from the couple's Scarborough property in Perth, Western Australia.[2] On 25 April 2005, the Seven Network lifestyle program The Great Outdoors ran a segment which featured the property. Australian Broadcasting Corporation program Media Watch reported about the segment, and the failure of the Seven Network to disclose Ardon's business relationship with the property.[3] Seven's then Director of Corporate Development, Simon Francis, replied that there was no conflict of interest in the segment.
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To suggest that The Great Outdoors undertook the segment for any reason other than it's a great place to visit is misplaced. The initial interest in the segment from our producers – based in Sydney – was not based on a need or desire to promote our news anchor in Perth or provide some "plug" for a business run by his wife.
— Simon Francis.[4]
