First female weather presenter, journalist shares memories of KALB

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - In an industry that was dominated primarily by males at the time, Sabine Parish native Mary Brocato paved the way for female journalists at KALB in the 1960s.

Mary Brocato with the KALB news team in 1967.(Mary Brocato)

Brocato graduated from LSU around 1965 with a degree in journalism and an English minor, joining the KALB staff as a reporter, weather presenter, and producer. While Ethma Odom was hosting “The Ethma Odom” show at the time, Brocato said she was the first female to work full-time in the newsroom, presenting both news and weather information on the airways.

Mary Brocato was a reporter, weather presenter, and producer for KALB in the 1960s.(Mary Brocato)

Brocato reported the weather for the noon newscast for several years, in a time when weather information and technology were much more limited than it is today. Brocato said she would call weather forecasters at England Air Force Base about 15 minutes before the newscast to get the latest weather report. She would also receive the latest weather map from the Associated Press, and then recreate that weather map by drawing on plexiglass that was overlaid on a map of the United States.

Brocato said presenting the weather information during a time when information was limited was challenging, and recalls a time when she received a phone call from an angry tomato farmer after failing to predict a freeze. Brocato said she was paid approximately $85 per week.

Brocato was a part of the staff that launched “Jambalaya” when it debuted as KALB’s morning show. She said management chose the show’s well-known name because it was meant to be a mixture of everything, just like the Louisiana dish. Brocato conducted live interviews on the show, in addition to special reports that she would edit herself using film.

Mary Brocato on the set of KALB's Jambalaya with co-anchor Bernard Tardy.(Mary Brocato)

Brocato worked at KALB from 1965-1968, leaving the station to work as the first female press secretary for Governor John McKeithen. She later earned her Masters in Mass Communication from LSU and worked as an Associate Professor for Northwestern State University’s journalism program. She married a New Orleans native, and they eventually moved back to her hometown in Sabine parish. Brocato also went on to work as a unit manager for an Emmy award-winning film produced by the World Health Organization, where she traveled to numerous countries. She’s now retired and lives in Many where she is a city council member and a member of the Sabine Humane Society. She was also appointed as a member of the board of directors of La Public Broadcasting earlier this year.