Bonnie Hammer

"We're escapism," Bonnie Hammer told The New York Times last year. Which might explain why the USA Network's ratings have soared under her watch -- its 2008 prime-time viewership was the largest ever for any basic-cable channel -- and her products contributed more than $1 billion to NBC Universal's profits last year. Hammer, 58, has a rep as a terrific programmer -- Monk and Battlestar Galactica blossomed under her -- and NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker recently put her in charge of a new production studio. In July, she'll embark on another reinvention, turning the 17-year-old SciFi Channel into "Syfy." She plans to extend the brand's reach to online games and grow its audience. Her target: lovers of fantasy. -- by Zachary Wilson