Loni Anderson of the hit TV series 'WKRP in Cincinnati' has died at 79

Loni Anderson, who played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died Sunday. She was 79.

LOS ANGELES — Loni Anderson, who played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died Sunday, just days before her 80th birthday.

Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a “prolonged” illness, said her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan.

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family said in a statement.

Cast members, from left, Richard Sanders, Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Frank Bonner (in back), Loni Anderson, Gordon Jump, Howard Hesseman and Jan Smithers in the CBS television series "WKRP in Cincinnati" in 1979.CBS via Getty Images“WKRP in Cincinnati” aired from 1978 to 1982 and was set in a lagging Ohio radio station trying to reinvent itself with rock music. The cast included Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, Frank Bonner and Jan Smithers, alongside Anderson as the sexy and smart Jennifer Marlowe.

As the station’s receptionist, the blonde and high-heeled Jennifer used her sex appeal to deflect unwanted business calls for her boss, Mr. Carlson. Her efficiency often kept the station running in the face of others’ incompetence.