Does the FCC regulate cable rates?
No. Under federal law, rates for other service tiers, pay-per-channel programming and pay-per-program services are no longer regulated. This means that a cable company can charge what it chooses for these services. My bill shows a “franchise fee.” What is this? The City charges Comcast a franchise fee to use the public rights-of-way for private enterprise. The franchise fee is five percent of Comcast’s gross revenue. Under Federal law, cable companies are permitted to pass this fee on to cable subscribers and so it is charged on monthly cable bills. The City deposits the revenues from the franchise fee into the General Fund, which is utilized to pay for City services, such as Police and Fire protection; these costs would otherwise be paid by taxpayer dollars. How can I get cable information from the FCC? Cable Service Bureau Fact Sheets are available for viewing on-line at the Federal Communications Commission web site, www.fcc.gov/mb. The Fact Sheets can also be downloaded. What can I
