President and CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services

Photo from Fortune.com

Nineteen years ago when Lifetime Television Network was first launched, critics were skeptical that it would survive more than a few years. "A TV network for women? It'll never last." Well not only did it last but it is now ranked as the #1 basic cable TV network. Lifetime TV jumped in ratings from the number 6 position to number 1 in just over two years. Nobody could disagree that the credit for Lifetime's drastic jump in ratings and popularity belongs to CEO and President, Carole Black.

Raised by her grandparents when her parents divorced, Carole grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was voted "Most Likely To Succeed" at her high school and hasn't let any of her classmates down in their predictions. After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in English literature, Carole began her career in brand management with Procter & Gamble. From 1983 to 1986 she worked at an ad agency in Chicago and went from Account Supervisor to Senior Vice President in just 3 years. In 1986 she joined The Walt Disney Company as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Home Video. Under her direction, the domestic video division jumped from 6th to 1st place. In 1988 she became the Senior Vice President of Marketing Television at the Disney Company and spent the next 6 years there. In 1994 she went to work for NBC4 in Los Angeles. She was the first woman to run a commercial station in Los Angeles. Yet again, Carole managed to pull her employer's ratings up to the number one spot in less than 2 years.

In 1999 Carole joined Lifetime TV Network and vowed to take it from it's mediocre #6 rating to the #1 winning spot in 3 years. She did it in only 2 years. Since she took over, the network has consistently beat out heavy weight champions like CNN, ESPN, and USA Networks. Lifetime is the only network ever to consistently gain ratings for 30 consecutive months! Within Carole's first 2 years as CEO, the programming budget tripled and marketing dollars doubled. How did she do it? Carole gave Lifetime a much needed make over. Often cited as the channel which depicted women as "damsels in distress", Carole changed the programming to depict more realistic and empowered women. "We're not into fantasy" said Black to Business Week online. She focused her marketing dollars on new movies and shows. It paid off in a big way. By the start of 2001 Lifetime had surpassed TBS Superstation and USA Network. Carole's mission to provide TV that would empower women and make them feel good about themselves is exactly what the female population was looking for. She has also recently launched a documentary channel called "Lifetime Real Women" to supplement the movie channel and main network.

Carole's list of achievements, recognitions and awards seems endless. At age 59 (believe it or not!) she has secured a spot on virtually every "Who's Who" list, from Fortune's "List of Most Powerful Women In Business" to People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People".

We're proud to add her to the Capitalist Chicks list of Women On Top.