This Thursday the FCC will vote on a rule to ban cable TV from using what it calls a “misleading practice” of hiding fees to keep the advertised price of cable TV down.
For years now cable TV companies have been advertising inexpensive TV plans but then add fees that easily add $30 or more to the bill each month. Now the FCC will vote on banning that practice, requiring cable TV companies to include all fees in the listed price of the service.
The rule, first proposed by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, will also aid consumers when comparing plans with competitors, including streaming services. Now, for the first time, cable TV companies will have to show the full price of their TV service not just the price minus fees like Broadcast TV fee, RSN fee, HD technology fee, and other fees.
“Working families deserve and expect transparency, but cable or satellite TV providers too often hide the real price of their service behind deceptive junk fees,” said Rosenworcel. “We’re putting an end to this form of price masking.”
The FCC will convene for a vote on March 14. If adopted, cable TV and satellite providers must disclose the total cost of services including all fees, such as regional sports and other programming fees, as a single line item on subscribers’ bills and clearly state costs on promotional materials.
If this rule gets approved and is held up in court after a likely court fight, it would speed up the growth of cord cutting in the United States.
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