LEXINGTON, Ky. — In 1968, Sue Wylie walked into the office of WLEX-TV and pitched the idea for a midday news program, Noon Today. She went on to anchor and produce that show for 22 years.
One of her proudest accomplishments was the success of her show, Your Government, which consisted of a panel of journalists and big-name guests.
“We had presidents,” said Wylie. “We had Jimmy Carter, we had Senator Kennedy, we had Ronald Regan.”
Her colleague of almost 20 years, Mike Taylor, witnessed the work Wylie put in for that show.
“I sat beside her for five years and I listened to people being talked into come onto her ‘Your Government’ show and, I mean, people that you, you know, if you were them you probably shouldn’t have come on the show, but she always convinced them to come on the show,” said Taylor.
It was accomplishments like the success of Your Government that shattered the glass ceiling for female journalists.
“She was someone that, you know, genuinely was a pioneer for women in television,” said Taylor.
As a woman, Wylie had more to prove, and it took hard work, passion and dedication to the industry to ultimately become the first female reporter in Miami, which led to her being the first woman in Kentucky to cover hard news.
“Getting to know the people who run our lives, who run our city, who run our state, who run our country… I think that’s amazing,” said Wylie.
When she was invited to the country’s capital, she felt that she had made it.
“I just remember walking up the path to the White House and saying to myself, ‘Look at you, little Sue Rippy from Cincinnati, Ohio, going to interview the president of the United States and not a bit nervous either,’” said Wylie.
Toward the end of her career as a broadcaster, she became a radio host on WVLK-AM and did that until 2013, when she officially retired at 80 years old, leaving behind a legacy.
By the end of her career, she saw a shift in the industry.
“It’s just amazing the difference in the number of women that are in television now versus when she got into TV,” said Taylor.
“Now, of course, you turn on television and women outnumber men. It’s just wonderful,” said Wylie.
She received many awards and accolades for her historic career, including being inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 1999.
While Wylie is mainly known for her accomplishments, Taylor also mentioned that she was fun to be around, and shared funny anecdotes from his time around her in the newsroom.