Broadcast pioneer White dead at 68

1st woman to forecast weather in LR

Jocelyn Kay White, a native of Crossett and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who was the first woman to deliver weather reports in the Little Rock television market, died Sunday after a short illness. She was 68.

White was born March 9, 1953, in Crossett to Burl Joe White Jr. and Joyce White, according to her obituary. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and English.

She joined the staff of KTHV-TV, Channel 11, in 1974 and moved to KARKTV, Channel 4, in 1979 before being hired by Dallas station KDFW-TV in 1980, where she was also the first female weathercaster and was one of five women in the country at that time to earn the American Meteorological Society’s Seal of Approval.

She told then-Arkansas Democrat TV columnist Jan Meins, “It was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever made. I loved everybody I worked with [at Channel 4]. It’s that old story — [the news director at KDFW] made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

“I’m 27, not married, no children — if ever I was going to see what the big, bad world was like, this was my chance.”

White continued doing weather at KDFW until 1984. Subsequently she created several of her own successful television shows, including “Designing Texas,” “Jocelyn’s Weekend” and “Texas Country Nights.” She also had a career in radio.

She had a passion for animals and was active on the Dallas area charity scene, volunteering on the boards of several organizations.

White married Kim Seal, a Dallas title company executive, in 2012.