Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney. The Seven Network is one of five main free-to-air networks in Australia.

Since 2007, the Seven Network has been the highest rated television network in Australia, ahead of the Nine Network, Network Ten, ABC and SBS. In 2011 the Seven network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers. Seven is the first to do this since the introduction of the OZtam ratings system in 2001. It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach.

Seven's administration headquarters are based in a converted warehouse at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, Sydney. The Networks main playout centre is located at Melbournes Doclands, while National news and current affairs programming is based at studios in Martin Place. In 2009, Seven moved its Epping-based production operations to a purpose-built high-definition television production facility at the Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh.

Rick Ardon (born 4 March 1959 in Perth, Western Australia), is a news presenter on Seven News in Perth, Western Australia. In 2005, Ardon and Susannah Carr, celebrated their 20th consecutive year reading the news together on Seven Perth.

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.

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 consequent Amrozi trial. When leaving Perth Airport for the Gulf War story, he asked a Customs Officer if covering the "Frede" before "rick" on his passport was OK. An airport employee who misheard the story told local media, with subsequent comic misreporting of "a new passport being issued" and Ardon "being detained".