I was a big fan of KIQQ (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM) during the station's new-wave top-40 days of the early 1980s. It wasn't always the most polished station; certainly, the station might at times sound really low-budget. It had a playlist that overlapped the finest of KROQ (106.7 FM) and was often the first station in town to break brand-new music and new bands with an emphasis on British acts along with homegrown artists.

The reality was that KIQQ would break the tune and then it would later strike the charts and other stations. I don't believe I ever heard the wonderful "She Means Nothing to Me" by Phil Everly and Cliff Richard on any other station, with the one exception of UCLA's trainee station KLA ... since I played it there.

Characters consisted of Bruce Chandler, Tony Saint James, GW McCoy, and a few others who stayed with the station up until it quit on the format and went light rock in mid-1985. One character left early and went right to television, to end up being KABC-TV Channel 7's home entertainment press reporter. That was Francesca Cappucci, who started at KIQQ in the public affairs department, later on going up to report entertainment and star chatter news, as well as features on and interviews with a number of the artists and bands used the station.

For a time, in addition to her other tasks, she worked with Jay Coffee in early morning drive, however her best-known work was her features. If you were a devoted listeners as I was, you might remember her prolonged sign-off: "I'm Francesca Cappucci on K ... ... I ...... Real or not, she was certainly unique, and her features added a lot to the station's on-air existence.

After leaving KIQQ in 1984, she moved over to KABC/7, reporting on home entertainment news for 10 years. Other television work consisted of acting upon such programs as "Columbo," "7th Heaven," "The Practice," and "Charmed," typically playing, naturally, a reporter.

Recently, I got the bad news from KPFK (90.7 FM) Car Show host (and column reader) David Kunz that Capucci had actually passed away; she passed away at the age of 64 due to cancer.

If her name sounds familiar, it may likewise be due to the fact that it was used in the current motion picture, "Once Upon a Time … … in Hollywood." There is no connection between her and the character in the movie; I am informed that Quentin Tarantino similar to the name.

Her friend Kim Fitzgerald Kelly composed on Capucci's Facebook page on March 30, "It is with extensive sadness that I share the passing of Francesca Cappucci. As those of you on this page understand, Francesca was a force of nature, a source of real joy, a dedicated mother to kids Ian and Will, and a fantastic enthusiast of music.

" Francesca's name was itself a tune and it played throughout Los Angeles radio and television stations for decades beginning in the early 80s. An event of music, love, and life is presently being planned and details will be announced. Until then, every time you hear a song by Foo Fighters or Crowded House, let it remind you of this gorgeous icon.".

You can read tributes on that very same page: facebook.com/francesca.cappucci.

Industrial breaks

For many years, I have actually felt that it was a substantial mistake for stations to run big blocks of commercial-free music. I am describing the hour or 2-- often longer-- durations of nothing however music. The problem, obviously, is that it moves the commercials that have to be run to other hours and makes the business breaks longer during those hours, as well as making each advertisement of less value to the marketer.

Looks like a lose-lose to me-- the station makes less per advertisement since they are worth less as a longer block than they would otherwise be, the advertiser loses possible exposure due to listener tune-out, and listeners have to sustain as much as 10 minutes of commercials when the breaks do come.

If the station can get a load of listeners by playing no commercials the very first two hours, it does not care what happens during the rest of the program. The station can still offer the advertisement based upon the typical score over the whole four hours.

Not surprising that radio is suffering ...

Nothing is spiritual

Ford announced it is getting rid of AM radio reception not only from future EVs, it is also eliminating it from future gas-powered automobiles. On the heals of that news came General Motors' statement that it is eliminating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on its future EVs.

The reason? GM desires subscription income from the dashboard.

I don't understand about you, however I like CarPlay. Seems like a bad idea to me.