Mysterious fees on your cable bill can bump up monthly charges much higher than advertised prices, but a group of consumers are fighting back in lawsuits against Charter and Time Warner Cable. Have you looked closely at your cable or satellite TV bill lately? If so, you may have noticed a programming fee called “broadcast TV and regional sport.” For Charter and Time Warner Cable subscribers (now one company) that mysterious charge is $8.75 a month. You might think it’s a government-mandated fee, but it’s not. “It’s a sneaky way to raise your cable bill without adding it to the advertised price,” says Daniel Hattis, an attorney representing a set of consumers who are suing Charter/Time Warnerand Comcast, in separate actions. A common (and sketchy) practice Cable companies say the suspect charges are used to recover fees they pay for certain content. That may sound reasonable, but it actually makes no sense. Cable providers pay networks and production companies for the rights to carry their programming during the normal course of business, according Hattis. The current practice is like a movie theater advertising tickets that cost $12 each and then tacking on a $2 fee at the box office to cover the cost of a seat. Only two companies are targets of the recent lawsuits, but the practice is common across the pay TV industry, Hattis says. Companies that charge similar fees include AT&T (in both its U-Verse and DirecTV offerings), Verizon Fios, CenturyLink, and Wow, a regional provider in the Midwest and Southeast, according to Hattis and a quick Web search. Cable companies can charge whatever they want, even though they already boosted prices well above the rise in the cost of living. The problem with these fees, however, is that they aren’t included in the advertised costs of service. Airlines used to do the same thing until regulators made them post full prices of tickets. The concept is also deceptive. According to the suit against Charter, customer agents told subscribers the fees are mandated by the government. Cable and wireless customers do pay a number of fees ordered by regulators, but the “broadcast and regional sports fee” isn’t one of them. How to avoid fake cable or satellite programming fees The common practice of forced arbitration makes it even harder for consumers to fight back. Buried inside the agreements you sign when you start service is a clause saying you waive your right to sue and will accept binding arbitration if a dispute should arise. Time Warner lets new subscribers opt out of that clause, but only if they do so within 30 days of signing up. Comcast has an opt-out provision as well. Hattis says a loophole in Charter’s arbitration clause lets subscribers sue for so-called “injunctive relief” but not monetary damages, so the plaintiffs aren’t seeking money, only a court order to kill the fees. You probably didn’t notice those arbitration-related clauses when you signed up for cable service, so here’s a page where you can opt out of arbitration if you’re a Comcast customer, and here’s one for Charter/Time Warner. I reached out to a number of cable companies for comments on the suits but haven’t heard back. However, Charter sent the statement to ArsTechnica.com: “We provide simple to understand bills and want our customers to understand what they are paying for, including the skyrocketing cost of broadcast channels.” Related content opinion Consumers love to hate the companies that deliver pay TV and broadband A survey of thousands of consumers shows that a lack of competition and u201cabysmalu201d customer service make cable companies and ISPs the most disliked industries in the country. By Bill Snyder May 24, 2017 3 mins Broadband Consumer Electronics opinion Get ready to say goodbye to T-Mobile A Japanese conglomerate wants to buy T-Mobile and merge it with Sprint. What a disaster for consumers that will be. By Bill Snyder May 12, 2017 4 mins Small and Medium Business Consumer Electronics Mobile opinion Cunning hack attacks built-in Windows anti-malware software Quick action by Google and Microsoft appears to have put out the fire. But itu2019s another reminder that running old versions of Windows can be dangerous. By Bill Snyder May 10, 2017 2 mins Small and Medium Business Malware Windows Security opinion How to survive a move when your ISP can’t go with you Moving is a huge hassle, but hereu2019s a two-step solution that will keep you connected to the Internet without busting your budget. By Bill Snyder May 05, 2017 4 mins Internet Consumer Electronics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe