Depending on the Bush administration's plans, FCC commissioners Michael Copps and Kathleen Abernathy could, theoretically, be leaving around the same time this year. That would give the White House three new seats to fill at the commission this year—and a chance to use a Democratic seat as a bargaining chip with Congress to help get a Republican nominee through the confirmation process.

Commissioner Copps' term ends officially in the middle of this year, while Abernathy's term ended back in June 2004. Commissioner Abernathy's office told Billboard Radio Monitor that there has been no message sent to the White House announcing her imminent departure: "Of course," said one source in that eighth floor office, "Commissioner Abernathy does serve at the pleasure of the president, and her term is already up."

Technically, according to this source, Abernathy can remain as a commissioner until late Fall this year. No one is betting on that scenario playing out, but the fact that Copps' term ends in mid-2005 creates an opportunity to nominate a Democrat-Republican pair of new commissioners.

Aside from Chairman Michael Powell's seat opening up with his announced March departure, Commissioner Kevin Martin's term doesn't end until 2006. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein's term expires mid-2008.