THE 2013 WOMEN IN TV POWER LIST

In this golden age of TV, industry muscle can take many forms—corner-office clout, a gift for drama with gravitas, the knack for spotting reality gold. Herewith, 18 of the most influential outside-the-box movers, shakers, and Honey Boo Boo makers.

THE FUNNY GIRL: SUZANNA MAKKOS

As a senior vice president and cohead of comedy development at FOX, Makkos has made female-driven comedies the linchpin of the network’s Tuesday-night block: New Girl andThe Mindy Project, of course, but also the family-centric ensembles Ben and Kate and Raising Hope. FOX comedies are legendary, with a history of genre game-changers like The Simpsonsand In Living Color; with shows like the odd, sweetBob’s Burgers, developed on her watch, Makkos is keeping the tradition alive.

THE PULSE TAKER: SUSANNE DANIELS

The reign of Snooki couldn’t last forever, and the responsibility of crowning a new cast of MTV cult characters falls to Daniels. The former Lifetime and WB honcho was hired this past November to be MTV’s president of programming, just as Jersey Shore was winding down (and newer shows like Awkward were still waiting for their big break). Daniels’ new gig comes with one big item on the to-do list: Be cool.

THE EQUALIZER: GEENA DAVIS

If you’ve wondered why Davis hasn’t been on-screen as much in recent years, it might be because she’s been devoting her time to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. The nonprofit researches how to improve media images geared toward girls—one of its findings, for example, was that in group scenes, only 17 percent of the characters are female—and gets the word out, prompting audiences to demand and studios to deliver more diverse characters.

THE NETWORK SAVANT: JENNIFER SALKE

Remember Must See TV? Salke sure does. As the president of NBC Entertainment, she’s tasked with getting the struggling network back into fighting form—and this past season, she actually achieved her goal: NBC had its best fall in ages, bumping up its ratings 23 percent over the same period the year before. With niche Emmy darling 30 Rockand the once-mighty The Office ending this year, Salke’s main challenge is to restock the NBC lineup with shows that have broad appeal.