Reality TV: THR's 50 Most Powerful List

8:00 AM PDT 5/16/2012 by THR Staff

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From singing competitions to the Kardashians, unscripted TV today is driven by these 50 behind-the-scenes talents (ranked, of course) who keep adding juice to the red-hot genre.

To call 2012’s jockeying for placement on The Hollywood Reporter’s Reality Power List the most competitive ever would be like saying the Kardashians have dabbled a bit in self-promotion.

PHOTOS: THR's 2012 Reality Power List

What does it really mean to wield power in reality TV? Is it about having 10 shows on the air or in production, as does The Real World creator Jonathan Murray? Or is it, like Jersey Shore creator SallyAnn Salsano has done, about making even the most mundane activities of Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino into breaking-news headlines? Or maybe power comes in the form of creating a giant hit like The Voice, which, under the guidance of NBC’s Paul Telegdy, went from quirky experiment (Cee Lo! Spinning chairs!) to one of the year’s most-buzzed-about pop culture phenomenons. Or, could it be turning one of the highly polarizing events in pop culture last year (i.e., Kim Kardashian’s 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries) into one of the guiltiest -- and most lucrative -- pleasures ever broadcast, as did E!’s Lisa Berger?

Reality power comes in all these forms and more. Among the 50 featured on the following pages are high-powered executives, prolific producers, newcomers making waves and veterans of the industry who, in keeping with their world, live and thrive by the only rule that matters: Make it real, and make it really good.

Items 1-10

1 Ryan Seacrest
President and founder, Ryan Seacrest Productionsread more
2 Paul Telegdy
President of alternative and late-night programming, NBC Entertainmentread more
3 Mike Darnell
President of alternative programming, Fox Broadcasting Corp.read more
4 Mark Burnett
CEO, One Three Mediaread more
5 Cecile Frot-Coutaz
CEO, FremantleMediaread more
6 John Saade
Executive vp alternative series and late-night programming, ABC Enter...read more
7 Jennifer Bresnan
Executive vp alternative programming, CBSread more
8 Simon Cowell
Founder and owner, Sycoread more
9 David Goldberg
Chairman, Endemol North Americaread more
10 Paul Buccieri
President and CEO, ITV Studios; managing director, ITV Studios Intern...read more