Francene Cucinello, WHAS, RIP

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The Interpreter
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Francene Cucinello, WHAS, RIP

Post by The Interpreter »

Francene Cucinello has died:
Francene Cucinello, the popular host of WHAS radio’s “Francene Show,” has died after suffering a heart attack and aneurysm. She was 43.

The Louisville hospital where she died issued a statement from the family Friday, saying Cucinello suffered a heart attack Monday, then was stricken by a brain aneurysm Wednesday and died at 3:15 p.m. EST Friday.

She had hosted the show since October 2003 and worked in television in Ohio, Maryland and Tennessee.

Her talk show gave her a chance to interview politicians and other newsmakers, and she was not uncomfortable challenging their views.

Afternoon host Terry Meiners said the phone lines were “absolutely blowing up” with people calling to express their sympathy.

Gov. Steve Beshear called her “one of Kentucky’s most beloved radio personalities” and said he was saddened by her death.

“I considered her a friend, despite her tough questions, and I enjoyed our frequent interviews on her show,” Beshear said. “People felt like they knew Francene because she was so open and honest, and her death is a terrible blow to the community. She was savvy, warm, whip-smart and compassionate.”

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said in a statement that he sends his condolences to Cucinello’s family, friends and WHAS co-workers.

“Francene’s open debate on a wide-range of political and social issues kept Louisville talking, and that’s one of the reasons her show was so popular,” McConnell said.

Attorney General Jack Conway said Cucinello “contributed greatly to the public discourse” in Kentucky.

“Francene never minced words and frankly, she made me a better public servant,” Conway said.

“When I was on her show talking about the issues, I knew she and her listeners were holding me accountable,” he added.

A New Jersey native, Cucinello attended West Virginia University, where she had her first job in radio as a disc jockey.

In addition to her job at WHAS radio, Cucinello also covered news for WXIX-TV in Cincinnati. She had previously worked as a reporter at WBAL-TV in Baltimore and WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn.

A public memorial was scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Southeast Christian Church.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/bri ... dead-at-43
amayo
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Re: Francene Cucinello, WHAS, RIP

Post by amayo »

Francene was my dear and treasured friend. I have not seen her much or spoken to her often in the past few months, but I knew she would always be there in a pinch.

In September of 2008, Louisville was hammered by a wind storm that took out power for thousands of people, including me, for over a week. The Sunday that it happened I was already in the radio station and was pressed into service disseminating information. Francene was the first person to arrive for on air duty and help out. Together we were on for several hours. I think it was certainly one of my finest days in radio and she helped make it so. In addition, she loaned me her guest room for five days until my power came back.

Many other fond memories have come flooding back in the past 18 hours or so. The time we nearly froze at the opening day game for the Louisville Bats. It was about 30 degrees for the first pitch, and we lasted through 5 innings before we chickened out. I also introduced her to fried bologna sandwiches at that game.

I also had one of the most enjoyable days ever travelling with Francene and her Mom through horse country several years ago. We arranged for a private tour at Three Chimney's Farm and got to meet the then reigning Kentucky Derby Champion Smarty Jones. We also spent several hours driving the roads of central Kentucky while I acted as informal tour guide. But the best part of the day was having dinner at a Jamaican restaurant in Lexington. We sat in the rear courtyard and it lasted for several hours. Truly one of the best days I ever spent in Kentucky.

Sadly, we became somewhat estranged over the past several months, but I knews she'd let me off the mat sometime soon. I will forever regret I did not see that happen.

I am heartbroken and shall miss her terribly.
Tim Tyler
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Re: Francene Cucinello, WHAS, RIP

Post by Tim Tyler »

What a tragic loss. Whenever I was in the Louisville area, I always made it a point to listen to her. She did an incredible on-air job, no matter what the subject matter was.
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