Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair
Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed requiring that cable and satellite TV providers include an “all-in” price notice in promotions and monthly bills.
Providers would be required to
state the total cost of video programming service clearly and prominently, including broadcast retransmission, regional sports programming and other programming-related fees, as a “prominent
single line item on subscribers’ bills and in promotional materials.”
The format would eliminate what the Commission calls “the misleading practice of describing these video
programming costs as a tax, fee, or surcharge” and “allow consumers to make informed choices, including the ability to comparison shop among competing providers and to compare programming
costs against alternative programming providers, including streaming services.”
“We’re working to make it so the advertised price for a service is the price you pay when your
bill arrives and isn’t littered with anything that resembles junk fees,” stated Rosenworcel. “Not only will this reduce cost confusion and make it easier for consumers to compare
services, but this proposal will also increase competition among cable and broadcast satellite providers through improved price transparency.”
With Biden administration nominee
Gigi Sohn recently having bowed out of contention for a long-open FCC post, the commission remains equally split between Democrats and Republicans. Rosenworcel’s announcement of the proposal may
indicate that she believes she will be able to secure a vote from at least one Republican commissioner in order to seek public comment on the proposal.
But with high fees driving the
accelerating exodus from pay-TV services, that industry will no doubt lobby hard against any measure that might give consumers more impetus to change providers.