CATHY HUGHES
Hughes is a media powerhouse, having taken her company, Radio One Inc., co-founded with her then-husband, Dewey Hughes, in 1979, and building a multi-million-dollar media empire. The company owns 53 radio stations in 16 urban markets and Reach Media, Inc., (think radio’s uber-successful Tom Joyner Morning Show). Radio One went public in 1999, making it one of the few Black-owned companies listed on the NASDAQ. Keeping the success rolling, in 2004, the company launched TV One, creating the nation’s largest Black-owned cable TV network, with a roster that includes the top-rated Lisa Raye: The Real McCoy and Hughes’ own show, TV One-on-One, where guests have included President Barack Obama, Queen Latifah, and Aretha Franklin.