Cable TV providers will have to show total cost of subscriptions, FCC says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

March 14, 2024 / 5:51 PM EDT


New rules for cable and satellite-TV providers means the companies need to clearly show total costs for video subscriptions, including extraneous fees that can add up to triple digits a year, the Federal Communications Commission announced on Thursday.

"Charges and fees for video programming provided by cable and DBS (direct broadcast satellite) providers are often obscured in misleading promotional materials and bills, which causes significant and costly confusion for consumers," the FCC stated.

The rule adopted by the FCC mandates that cable and satellite companies clearly state the total cost, including fees for regional sports programming as a single line item.

According to advocacy groups Consumer Reports and Public Knowledge, broadcast TV, regional sports and set-top box rentals mean an additional $37 to the average monthly bill, or up to a third of the total.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cable-tv-providers-will-have-to-show-total-cost-of-subscriptions-fcc-says/

---

Link to FCC Rule NEWS RELEASE (PDF) - https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-401215A1.pdf

[Oopsie Daisy]

1. Good! This was one of the reasons we "cut the cord" on cable-TV (keeping only Internet) *

* from Verizon. Although we still pay monthly subscription fees... it's ONLY for things we WANT to buy. When our interests change, we can easily drop one, and pick up another channel. And it's still HALF of what we were paying before.

[Aussie105]

2. All up costs revealed to the consumer are always welcome.

Makes a buying decision clearer.

Airlines take note!

[Danascot]

3. There's still cable TV?

Who knew?

[PSPS]

4. Now if only the "medicare advantage" scams whose ads flood the airwaves could be brought to heel.

[GB_RN]

5. Not Just Medicare Advantage...

But reverse mortgage ads and memory support (or really any) supplements - like the main one that’s made from jellyfish protein* - as supplements don’t have to prove they work because they are not regulated by the FDA.

*Protein can’t cross blood-brain barrier, it’s too big. Ergo, no way it can do what he claims. Even the guy’s mom fell out with him over his claims, and she was a chemist.

[Martin68]

6. So many more good things happen when a Democrat is president...

[Quanto Magnus]

7. I quit Comcast for this very reason

I had the $130 plan when I first moved in to my current house. I had to get phone service even though I didn't want it. I had to order a TV package that was basically junk, except for like 2 channels I would like to have. After all of the 'extra' charges my bill was $205 roughly. I finally got tired of paying this and went into a Comcast store to talk to a real person face to face. The customer service lady was very nice. She wrote down a website address for a program that could offer $30 off on your bill if you were below a certain income. I admit I didn't look into it immediately, but had planned to. 2 months later, my bill mysteriously went up $30 for no explainable reason. I believe enough customers were taking advantage of the $30 help, Comcast just decided to raise their fees $30 to absorb that money. When I went to turn in my equipment, I explained what happen to the (same) customer service lady. She was surprised and said she completely understood why I was cancelling.

That store got close down about 4 months ago....

These charges are complete BS.





TLDR: My supposed $130 monthly bill was actually $235 after all of the extraneous charges.