Francene Cucinello was born in New Jersey and led a life on the stage before discovering that broadcasting was her true calling. A professional dancer with a regional ballet company at age 14, Francene developed her work ethic early, touring with Shakespearean and musical theatre companies before she was 21.
But it was during college at West Virginia University when Francene’s fate was sealed. She called a radio station to answer a trivia question and the station’s program director heard her voice and hired her on the spot to be a disc jockey.
After college Francene began writing, producing and appearing as an on-camera talent in commercials and industrial films. This included work for MCI, Major League Baseball and various branches of the U.S. government. At the same time she established herself as an accomplished voice-over artist and recorded an award-winning series for The Discovery Channel and audio books for The Library of Congress.
A few years later that voice work led Francene to Charlotte, North Carolina, and to a career as a television news reporter. Francene then continued reporting at WBAL-TV in Baltimore and at a national news bureau in Washington, D.C., where she covered Congress and the White House. Following next was investigative work and anchoring at WSMV-TV in Nashville. There Francene broke numerous stories of local and national significance and got nominated for several Emmy awards in the process.
However, radio once again beckoned and Francene’s next step was a talk radio station in St. Louis where she was the station’s first female solo talk show host.
In 2002 Francene was awarded an international journalism fellowship and left the country for study in Berlin, Germany and at NATO and the European Union.
Francene joined 84WHAS in October 2003. In addition to listening to her talk show, you can catch Francene's news reports on WXIX-TV in Cincinnati, see her on The Fox News Business Channel where she's a regular guest, and read her columns in the LEO weekly newspaper.
If you would like to help the victims of this week's earthquake in Haiti, the American Red Cross has set up a website where you can do so. There are many different ways in which you can donate, whether its through giving blood, supplies, or money.
To help the victims of this disaster: http://www.redcross.org/
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL
Monday 01-11-2010 9:14am ET
The Denver Nuggets J.R. Smith had quite the embarrassing moment during an NBA game last week. Smith learned that you can never stop watching the ball.
EXPERT ON RADICAL ISLAM JOINS FRANCENE TO TALK ABOUT RECENT TERRORIST ATTEMPTS
Tuesday 01-05-2010 10:12am ET
Daveed Gartensteain-Ross is the vice-president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and a PhD candidate in World Politics at the Catholic University of America. He is the author of "My Year Inside Political Islam".
Author Tim Carney came on the Francene Show to discuss his new book, "Obamanomics: How Big Business and Big Government are colluding to enrich and empower each other -- at your expense". The book discusses the shift in the economy since the election of Barack Obama, and how the president has not followed through with campaign promises.
FORMER SENATOR BILL FRIST TALKS TO FRANCENE ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK
Wednesday 12-16-2009 3:05pm ET
The former senator from Tennessee has written a wonderful new book about the health care system in America. As a doctor himself, Frist brings a first hand knowledge of the problems and solutions necessary to fix the health care crisis.
To order Frist's book: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Heart-to-Serve/William-H-Frist/e/9781599950167/?itm=1
JIM KING'S FAKE ENDORSEMENT BECOMES A VERY REAL EMBARRASSMENT!
Friday 11-20-2009 11:19am ET
St. X High School is NOT HAPPY with Mayoral Candidate, Metro Councilman Jim King. King used the school's logo without authorization to raise campaign money. This morning, 11/20, the high school sent out an emergency email denouncing King's mailing.
Doesn't it look like he has the school's full endorsement?
