Job: culture secretary
Age: 58
Industry: politics
Staff: 527
Salary: £133,997
2005 ranking: 5
It seems to have taken so long to renew the BBC's royal charter that you could almost be forgiven for thinking the renewal lasts 10 years, not the charter itself.
But having guaranteed the future of the licence fee in the government's white paper in March, the process under culture secretary Tessa Jowell is almost complete. With one important exception - how much will a TV licence actually cost?
Jowell has indicated that the corporation may not get the full inflation-busting hike it has requested, and said a final decision will be made "towards the end of 2006".
In a tough 12 months for Jowell, the culture secretary found herself at the centre of a political storm over her now estranged husband David Mills' business dealings with former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.
A loyal Blairite, she survived the prime minister's wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle in May. But members of our panel thought the row had cost her political influence. As one of them put it: "She is damaged goods."
Guaranteeing the licence fee for the next decade, Jowell rejected calls for the BBC to be put under an external regulator, or for some of the £3bn the licence fee generates to be shared with its rivals. Critics said it was not rigorous enough. The corporation, needless to say, was delighted. But will it be so happy by the end of the year?
Culture secretary since 2001, Jowell has overseen a succession of landmark media events, including the Communications Act, the setting up of industry regulator Ofcom, the birth of Freeview and the creation of a single ITV.
Big challenges remain, but how long will Jowell - who has been in the job longer than any of her five predecessors - be around to tackle them?
The biggest task of all is digital switchover, due to begin in the Border region in 2008 and completed by 2012, the year London will host the Olympics. Jowell was a key part of the team that brought the games to the capital, and she said the event should act as a catalyst for the entire UK media industry.
Jowell, a former psychiatric social worker, has been an MP since 1992. Her favourite TV shows include Big Brother, Sex and the City, and How Clean is Your House?
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