Ron Cochran
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Early Life and Education
Ron Cochran was an American television news journalist, best known for his role as a network news anchor in the 1960s. He was born Ronald V. Cochran on September 20, 1912, in Saskatchewan, Canada, and raised in Iowa. He attended Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa. After completing his education, Cochran began his broadcasting career by working at various radio stations across the Midwest.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 20 Sep, 1912
- Age
- 107 yrs
- Occupations
- Journalist
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- Citizenship
- United States of America
- Education
- Parsons College
- Gender
- Male
- Description
- Television journalist
Military and Early Career
Before fully transitioning into journalism, Cochran spent two years working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1945, he returned to broadcasting, accepting a position with a radio station in Boston.
Career at CBS and ABC
In 1951, Cochran joined CBS, initially working in Washington in both radio and television. He later moved to WCBS-TV in New York, where he anchored the station’s 11 p.m. news program. Cochran also served as host of the CBS drama series Armstrong Circle Theatre, which focused on docudrama-style programming.
ABC Evening News and National Recognition
Ron Cochran is perhaps best known for anchoring The ABC Evening News with Ron Cochran from 1962 to 1965. During his tenure, he became the principal anchor for ABC’s coverage of major national events, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Although rival networks expanded their evening news programs to 30 minutes during this era, ABC’s evening news broadcast remained 15 minutes in length while Cochran served as its anchor.
