Tanya Van Court Named Senior Vice President, Preschool and Parents Online, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group

Tanya Van Court Named Senior Vice President, Preschool and Parents Online, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanya Van Court has been named senior vice president, Preschool and Parents Online, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. The announcement was made today by Steve Youngwood, executive vice president, Digital Media, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group, to whom she will report.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061009/NYM130 )

In her new role, Van Court oversees strategy and operations, as well as creative and editorial content for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group preschool and parents online businesses. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of Nick Jr.com (Playtime and Nick Jr. Parents), broadband offerings Nick Jr. Video and Nick Jr. Parents TV, NOGGIN.com, GoCityKids.com and the newly launched community site ParentsConnect.com.

"Tanya brings a wealth of experience to the Nickelodeon digital group, from managing online businesses, to product development, to working with multiplatform brands," said Youngwood. "Her expertise will lend to maintaining and growing our number one position with preschoolers and parents online."

Van Court assumes the role formerly held by Kyra Reppen who was recently named senior vice president and general manager of Neopets, the largest and fastest growing youth community on the Internet, part of MTVN Kids and Family Group digital offerings.

Most Recently, Van Court served as vice president, New Media Video Products at ESPN, where she led the launch of ESPN360, ESPN's broadband video and online gaming player. Prior to joining ESPN, she spent three years at Cablevision Systems where she was responsible for launching Cablevision's VOIP service, Optimum Voice, and spearheaded Cablevision's Operations and Customer Experience efforts for their digital cable product, Interactive Optimum (IO). Van Court also helped to launch DSL in several international markets while working at Covad Communications.

In 2004, Van Court graduated from National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Executive Leadership Development Program and in 2005, was a Betsy Magnes Fellow in Women in Cable Telecommunications class. She was recently named as one of the top 50 most influential minorities in Cable World. Van Court received both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University; and currently resides in Stamford, Connecticut with her husband and daughter.

Nickelodeon, now in its 27th 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 company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number- one-rated basic cable network for more than eleven consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B).

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061009/NYM130
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Nickelodeon; MTVN Kids; Family Group

CONTACT: Joanna Roses, +1-212-846-7326; Thamar Romero, +1-212-846-7491

Web site: http://www.nick.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Head Shot Available Upon Request

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