Former WBEN 930 news anchor and reporter Mark Leitner has died at the age of 80 after a battle with an illness, the Audacy Buffalo news/talk station has revealed.
Leitner departed the station in 2002 after spending nearly 20 years anchoring newscasts, as well as hosting the Newsday at Noon broadcast. He later worked at WBFO Radio in Buffalo before retiring and moving to Florida.
“It is truly the end of an era,” said former WBEN News colleague and current Audacy Buffalo Market Manager Tim Wenger. “Mark’s commanding voice and use of the English language to tell stories accurately and succinctly was unrivaled.”
“It’s a sad day for the WBEN family,” WBEN anchor Susan Rose added. “Mark was a colleague, mentor and friend. He was the foundation of the newsroom. A calm, steady presence on the air with exceptional interviewing skills. He knew every police dispatcher in Western New York. I would not be doing what I do today, if I hadn’t worked with Mark for so many years.”
Leitner is survived by his wife of 50 years, Suzanne, and their children Catherine and Emily.
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