TELEVISION: Susan Banks leaving Channel 7

Channel 7 News co-anchor Susan Banks announced Tuesday she is leaving the station. Banks currently co-anchors the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. Her final broadcast will be tonight’s 11 p.m. broadcast.

“I've had a wonderful and satisfying career in television. My years at Channel 7 have been some of the happiest of my life,” Banks said. “I am pursuing other ventures, meeting new challenges, and starting an image consulting business. ... the viewers in Buffalo and Western New York are the greatest. They welcomed me home, supported me as I battled back from breast cancer, and always offered their thoughts and opinions.”

Banks first joined the station in 1977, but departed in 1981. She returned to Channel 7 in 1990 and has been a part of the “7 News” team since.

“Ms. Banks made a personal decision to resign her position to consider other professional opportunities,” WKBW-TV President and General Manager Bill Ransom said. “I wish her the very best.”