What Is a Broadcast Surcharge on Your Bill?
Unpack the broadcast surcharge on your cable or satellite TV bill. Gain clarity on this common, often misunderstood, charge.
A broadcast surcharge is a fee itemized on cable and satellite television bills, representing an additional cost for receiving certain programming. This charge is a regular component of monthly statements. Understanding this fee involves recognizing its source and how it influences the total amount due for television services.
Understanding the Broadcast Surcharge
The broadcast surcharge originates from fees paid by television service providers to local broadcast stations, such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliates. These payments, known as “retransmission consent fees,” grant providers the legal right to carry these local station signals. This requirement stems from the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, which allows local U.S. broadcast stations to negotiate with providers for retransmission permission.
Local broadcast stations distribute signals over the airwaves using federal spectrum, receivable for free with an antenna. The 1992 law permits these stations to charge providers for retransmission rights, unlike cable-only channels.
Providers often pass these retransmission consent fees directly onto consumers as a separate line item, rather than integrating them into the base package price. This practice highlights the specific costs of carrying local channels, which have seen substantial rate increases. Providers state these fees have escalated, making it challenging to absorb them without affecting service pricing.
How it Appears on Your Bill
The broadcast surcharge appears as a distinct line item on a monthly cable or satellite television bill, separated from the base service package and other charges. This allows consumers to identify the specific cost attributed to local broadcast channel access. While a pass-through fee, its exact wording might vary by provider, commonly including terms like “Broadcast TV Surcharge” or “Broadcast TV Fee.”
The amount of the broadcast surcharge is not uniform and varies based on several factors. These include the specific television service provider, the customer’s geographic location, and ongoing retransmission consent agreements between providers and local broadcasters. Different local markets may have varying fee structures due to negotiation outcomes and the number of local channels available.
These fees can fluctuate over time as retransmission consent agreements are renegotiated, typically every few years, sometimes resulting in substantial increases. Customers should review their bills carefully to understand the specific amount charged, as these fees are non-negotiable for individual consumers. While providers assert the surcharge directly reflects their incurred costs, the precise amount passed on to the consumer is determined by the provider and may not be a direct match to their actual payment to broadcasters. For instance, some providers may charge between $10 and $32 per month for this fee, depending on the region and specific provider.