Article by Doug Povich, Cable and Consumer Services
(Posted 2025 March)
Do you ever get frustrated when you expect to pay the advertised price for something only to find out that additional charges and fees get added to the price? If so, you’re not alone.
In response to complaints from consumers regarding the practices of cable and satellite TV operators who often advertise a low price without clearly indicating that additional charges and fees apply, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implemented some new rules at the end of 2024. They’re designed to make bills more understandable and to facilitate comparison shopping.
Cable and satellite TV operators are now required to advertise and specify on customer bills an “all-in” price for their video programming services. The price on customer bills and on any regional or national advertising or promotional materials that include the price of video programming must be clear, easy to understand, and accurate. The new rules are in effect so customers should have seen the new all-in price on their January 2025 bill.
In any advertising, the total monthly price must now include all charges for broadcast TV, sports network, and any other programming fees. These vary widely but often amount to over $20/month and are considered by many to be internal costs of cable and satellite TV operators. You can see how including these fees in an all-in price makes comparison shopping much easier.
If a customer receives an introductory price, the bill must show either the length of time for the promotion or the specific date it will end. Also, billing statements 60 days and 30 days before the end of the introductory period must include the all-in price the customer will pay after the expiration of the promotion.
The rules don’t address whether separately sold premium channels and other video content are required to be included, but they make clear that taxes, administrative fees, equipment fees, franchise fees, and fees for Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) programming are not required to be part of the all-in price. The companies are still allowed to show additional line items with the amounts attributable to any part of the total price, including broadcast TV fees and sports network charges. The rules don’t apply to online services such as Netflix, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or DIRECTV STREAM.
It should be noted that these rules were adopted by the FCC prior to the recent change in administration. The current FCC is reviewing some of the consumer protection-related policies of the prior administration, so it’s possible that the new rules will be short-lived.
For now, some of the frustration associated with billing confusion and comparative shopping for video services has been addressed by requiring all cable and satellite TV providers to make their bills clearer and to advertise a price that includes all video programming-related charges and fees. If you’re in the market for video programming services, go forth and compare!
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