Business Notes PERSONALITIES

In the 1960s he was pictured on a top-selling poster sitting on a toilet. In the '70s he penned the foul-mouthed rock classic Don't Eat the Yellow Snow. Small wonder, then, that the iconoclastic musician Frank Zappa has had a hard time getting mainstream airplay. But the times they are a-changin', and Financial News Network is betting the cult hero is ready for prime time. This week Zappa debuts as guest host on FNN: Focus, an interview show. As his opening topic, Zappa will explore opportunities for U.S. businesses in the Soviet Union. The 49-year-old renegade may have some insight to share. Last & year he formed a consulting firm to set up joint ventures in the U.S.S.R. Says Zappa: "It's an off-the-wall situation over there. How can you ignore 280 million consumers?"