Sue Simmons

Early life and education

Simmons grew up in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village; her father was John Simmons, a jazz bassist whose compatriots included Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and Nat King Cole.

She graduated from Julia Richman High School in 1961 and decided to work instead of going on to college.

WNBC

She began her career as a consumer action reporter at WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut. She was with WBAL-TV in Baltimore from 1974 to 1976 where she was an anchor for the station's Action News and Baltimore At One broadcasts. From 1976 to 1980 she was a reporter and anchor at WRC-TV in Washington, DC, an NBC owned-and-operated station.

From 1980 to 2007, she was a co-anchor for WNBC's Live at Five news broadcast. She worked with several co-anchors, including Jack Cafferty, Tony Guida, Matt Lauer, Dean Shepherd, Jim Rosenfield, Perri Peltz, and David Ushery. In 2007, Live at Five broadcast for the final time. Weeknights at 11 p.m., she co-anchored with Chuck Scarborough. On March 7, 2012, WNBC announced that it would not renew its contract with Simmons; the contract expired in June. Simmons's final broadcast was on June 15, 2012; she received farewells from long time co-workers, as well as numerous sports figures and celebrities. Simmons was replaced on the 11 p.m. newscast by Shiba Russell.

Chuck and Sue (as they were known in New York) were together since Simmons's arrival at WNBC—the longest run for an anchor team in New York City television history. She was one of the highest paid local anchors in New York, making $5 million a year.

Simmons was referenced in the song Traffic and Weather by the power pop band Fountains of Wayne.

Each Groundhog Day, Simmons did an on-air facial impression of a groundhog at the end of the broadcast.

On June 23, 2017, Simmons returned to WNBC for a tribute to Gabe Pressman, longtime reporter for the station who died earlier in the day at age 93.

On-air profanity

On May 12, 2008, as a live news teaser was played, Simmons was reportedly heard angrily exclaiming to a co-worker (later revealed to be Chuck Scarborough), "What the fuck are you doing?" She later apologized on-air for her inappropriate language. The incident has been mocked in several sketches on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman. Simmons has said she did not realize they were broadcasting live, rather than taping or rehearsing, when she was attempting to get the attention of Scarborough, who was preoccupied with his computer.

Back surgery

In November and December 2010, Simmons was away from her job while she underwent back surgery. On January 3, 2011, she returned to work. However, when she returned from surgery she was no longer a part of the 6 p.m. newscast and only co-anchored the 11 p.m. newscast.

Acting

Sue Simmons made her acting debut as herself in the fourteenth season premiere episode of the long-running NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Simmons went on to guest star as herself on NBC comedy series 30 Rock. She has also appeared in other television series and films in the role of a newscaster, including: The First Wives Club (1996), Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998) and Elementary (2012).