Most cable customers in our area will see their cable rates go up in January, thanks to a Broadcast TV Surcharge from Comcast and RCN.
The companies argue large increases in retransmission content payments charged by ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and others mean it’s time to pass those charges on to the customer. The finger pointing will result in a $1.50 monthly surcharge for Comcast customers and a $3.98 monthly surcharge for RCN customers. RCN will also add a monthly “Sports Surcharge” of $1.97 for those who subscribe to its sports packages.
Exact numbers for how much it costs to retransmit a TV station’s content are unknown. The costs are in private contracts.
Providers have levied similar fees before. The Montgomery County Office of Cable and Broadband Services was notified of the Comcast increase this week and the RCN increase in November. Cable operators generally increase rates once a year.
Keith Watkins, an investigator for the Office of Cable and Broadband Services, says cable operators are required to provide notice of rate increases at least 30 days before the rate increase. Notice is typically provided on a bill or in an insert that comes with the bill.
PDF: Comcast Rate Increase Announcement
PDF: RCN Rate Increase Announcement
Video via Derrick Kenny
