46. Debra Lee

As a young lawyer on the scene in pre-Reagan Washington, D.C., Lee thought that she was set for a career in government. "But then the Republicans won the White House," she says with a laugh, "so that ended my political career." No problem; Lee has proven herself adept at corporate politics during her 22-year tenure at BET, where she worked up to the top spot from general counsel. Her legal concentration was put to good use this year as the network covered the Democratic National Convention and premiered its own news show, "The Truth With Jeff Johnson." On the entertainment side, Lee oversaw the network's first scripted program, "Somebodies," along with the continued success of reality shows "Baldwin Hills" and "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is." Next year, BET will debut the unscripted "Harlem Heights," and Lee says she'll be scoping out more scripted fare, adding, "We want to be the HBO of the black creative community."