New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- Loni Anderson, best known for portraying the glamorous and sharp-witted Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. According to her publicist Cheryl J. Kagan, Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a battle with a "prolonged" illness.

Loni Anderson's family confirmed the news in a statement to the Associated Press, "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother."

Anderson's breakout role came in the hit CBS sitcom 'WKRP in Cincinnati', which aired from 1978 to 1982. The show followed a struggling Ohio radio station attempting to reinvent itself by swapping out easy-listening tunes for contemporary rock and roll.

As the poised and ...