Among the many decisions facing the next president of the United States: the appointment of a new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at potential successors to Republican Kevin Martin—depending on which presidential candidate makes it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. (Martin has been on the FCC since 2001 and chairman since 2005; he is in his second term at the head of the commission.) Among the possibilities raised:

-- Sen. Hillary Clinton: Susan Ness, a fundraiser for both Clintons, was on the FCC when Reed Hundt left as chairman in 1997 but Bill Kennard got the job. She would be the first woman to lead the FCC.

-- Sen. Barack Obama: One possibility: Julius Genachowski, co-founder of Rpck Creek Ventures and former IAC (NSDQ: IACI) exec, who worked for Hundt and Kennard at the FCC. THR describes him as “a close friend of Obama’s since they attended Harvard Law School. He is a major fundraiser for the senator and introduced him to Hundt, Kennard and their followers.” A couple of notes you won’t see in the article: Genachowski is one of the founders of LaunchBox Digital, a digital media incubator fund founded late last year. He’s also among the nominees activist shareholder Jana Partners wants to place on the CNET (NSDQ: CNET) board.

Other names raised include FCC vets Blair Levin, now a Stifel Nicolaus analyst; Karen Kornbluh, Obama’s policy director; Don Gips, chief domestic policy adviser for former Vice President Al Gore and currently group VP-corporate strategy and development for Level 3 Communications; Larry Strickling, now with the Obama campaign. FCC commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein could be on the list.

-- Sen. John McCain: The Arizona senator headed the Commerce Committee and is still a senior member. His list, THR says, could include Bill Bailey, his former staffer and now a Disney lobbyist; Pablo Chavez, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) policy counsel; FCC staffer Maureen McLaughlin; campaign manager Rick Davis, who has lobbied for Verizon and SBC; and campaign adviser Charles Black, a lobbyist for *AT&T* among others.

Then there’s this old favorite: none of the above.

Multichannel News: Earlier this month, Ted Hearn reported on some of the machinations already underway to determine the make-up of the FCC. It’s a complicated tale involving Martin, Adelstein, whose term expires in June, Republican Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, who is now serving an expired term, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid wanted Martin to submit a dated resignation from the FCC that would prevent a scenario with a Democrat as chairman of a Republican-majority FCC for much of 2009. Martin refused, according to the report.