Obama's FCC good for cable, tougher look at media

The make-up of the Federal Communications Commission under President Barack Obama will see major changes that should benefit cable TV operators, which have long locked horns with the current leadership, an analyst said Monday. Goldman Sachs analyst James Mitchell said four out of five FCC commissioners likely will be replaced with others with more experience in telecom, rather than media or cable. Notably, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has long been viewed by cable operators as hostile to their interests. Large deals under a Democratic president will face tougher scrutiny and companies are expected to grant more concessions if they want transactions to go through, he said. However, it's not likely that deals already approved will be in jeopardy. The Obama Administration also will be more involved in the new FCC.