[opendtv] Re: Devastating to consumers?

At 11:56 AM -0400 4/16/08, John Shutt wrote:
I'd like to see Congress step in and require Cable Companies to provide an "itemized" monthly bill that lists each and every subscriber fee for each channel, as well as the Cable Company's operating expenses, and of course franchise fees and taxes.
Of course, such itemized bills haven't placed a dent in my phone bill fees, has it? I still have "unlimited local phone service for $35" that I pay $62 per month for. 

John
P.S., could a cable company even disclose subscriber fees publicly? Seems to me that is proprietary industry information and to be protected.
This is an interesting question. Clearly none of the parties want to go public with their agreements, and it may be difficult to determine a monetary value f the agreements involve in-kind compensation - for example ads that either party might run as part of the deal.
But the consumer should know what they are paying for, and a legislated requirement would carry significant weight. An FCC regulation would most likely face a legal challenge immediately. 

Regards
Craig


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