The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implemented new steps to combat “deceptive junk fees” in the TV industry by requiring service providers to mention the full cost of their service at the outset, including all charges.
On Thursday, the agency “adopted new rules requiring cable and satellite TV providers to specify the ‘all-in’ price clearly and prominently for video-programming service in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills,” the FCC said in a press release on March 14. The new rules aim to “eliminate the misleading practice of describing video programming costs as a tax, fee, or surcharge.” The agency pointed out that TV providers often use “deceptive junk fees” to hide the true final cost of their services. FCC actions will now seek to put an end to “this form of price masking, increasing competition and reducing confusion among consumers.”
