Sylvester L. Weaver Jr.(1908-2002)

When he first joined NBC, TV was run on the radio model. Sponsors owned shows, controlled their content and sometimes even dictated when they aired. His ideas took away some of that control. He had the network produce its own shows and then sell commercial time to several advertisers, helping fund the medium. For his contributions, he received two Emmy awards and was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 1985.