HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViacomCBS has named Yolanda T. Cochran as Senior Vice President, Live-Action Long-Form Production, ViacomCBS Kids & Family, responsible for managing all aspects of live-action physical production for the Nickelodeon brands – Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nicktoons – and for Gen Z-focused brand Awesomeness. Based in Hollywood, Cochran will report to Megan Ring, Executive Vice President of Production, ViacomCBS.
“Yolanda is a talented producer and creative executive known for bringing bold, original stories and important voices to the screen,” said Ring. “Her considerable expertise in production will only strengthen our ability to make content that truly resonates with young audiences and families. I’m also excited to welcome Yolanda for her incredible advocacy in addressing gender and race inequality in entertainment – leadership that will help reinforce our own commitment to greater diversity and inclusion.”
In this role, Cochran will manage budgeting, scheduling, location scouting and staffing, while working closely with producers and key department heads to ensure that Nickelodeon shows and Awesomeness series and films are produced at the highest quality provided for within their budgets.
Cochran joins the ViacomCBS Kids & Family Entertainment Group from Freeform (Walt Disney Television Group), where she most recently served as Vice President of Production, overseeing scripted series such as Good Trouble, The Bold Type, Siren and Motherland: Fort Salem. In 2016, Cochran produced a documentary short and podcast mini-series entitled Radio Film School: Breaking the Glass, highlighting and seeking solutions to challenges specific to gender and race in film and television.
Cochran previously served as Executive Vice President of Physical Production at Warner Bros. affiliated Alcon Entertainment, overseeing production and production finance for the company’s slate, project managing all aspects from green light to delivery. In that time she executive produced the feature Beautiful Creatures and coproduced several others: The Book of Eli, Dolphin Tale 1 & 2, Something Borrowed; Joyful Noise; Lottery Ticket, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Point Break, and the Academy Award®-winning film The Blind Side. In 2005, Cochran co-wrote and produced an independent thriller entitled Paved with Good Intentions. Prior to joining Alcon in 2002, Cochran worked freelance, below the line on feature films including Life, Blue Streak, Nutty Professor II, Coyote Ugly and Dragonfly.
Cochran is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Television Academy of Arts & Sciences, Board of Directors of the Producers Guild of America and National Co-Chair of the PGA’s Women’s Impact Network (WIN).
About Yolanda T. Cochran:
An experienced and skilled producer, creative executive and consultant, Yolanda T. Cochran currently serves as SVP, Live-Action Long-Form Production, ViacomCBS Kids & Family. In this role, which she assumed in June 2020, Cochran manages all aspects of live-action physical production for the Nickelodeon portfolio of brands – Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nicktoons – and for Gen Z-focused brand Awesomeness.
Before joining ViacomCBS, Cochran was VP Production at Freeform (within the Walt Disney Television Group), where she oversaw original scripted series such as Good Trouble, The Bold Type, Siren and Motherland: Fort Salem. In 2016, Cochran (USC alumna) produced a documentary short and podcast mini-series entitled Radio Film School: Breaking the Glass, highlighting and seeking solutions to challenges specific to gender and race in film and tv.
Cochran previously served as EVP Physical Production at Warner Bros. affiliated Alcon Entertainment, overseeing production and production finance for the company’s slate, project managing all aspects from green light to delivery. In that time she executive produced the feature Beautiful Creatures and coproduced several others: The Book of Eli, Dolphin Tale 1 & 2, Something Borrowed; Joyful Noise; Lottery Ticket, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Point Break, and The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock which was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture. In 2005, Cochran co-wrote and produced an independent thriller entitled Paved with Good Intentions.
Prior to joining Alcon in 2002, Cochran worked freelance, below the line on feature films including Life, Blue Streak, Nutty Professor II, Coyote Ugly and Dragonfly. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Television Academy of Arts & Sciences, Board of Directors of the Producers Guild of America and National Co-Chair of the PGA’s Women’s Impact Network (WIN), Cochran has been a CPA, is an oenophile and is a native of Texas with familial roots in Louisiana.
About ViacomCBS:
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the US television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).
