WISN article on TW

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I'd like to pay for only the HD channels someday.

Local - WISN TheMilwaukeeChannel.com
 
Are You Paying Too Much For Cable TV?
Wed Jan 15,10:04 AM ET
 

One of the nation's leading consumer groups said there's something you don't know about your cable service, and it could be costing you money.

"Basic service is $11.90. Standard is $27.60," cable subscriber Sarah Thorn said.


Thorn pays about $76 every month for cable TV. The catch is, the standard service gives Thom dozens of channels she doesn't want.


"I don't even barely watch all those channels," Thorn said.


She thought she had to pay for them to subscribe to the premium channels she wants, like HBO, but there's something Thorn didn't know.


"You can get these premium channels, even if you are getting only the smallest, least expensive package," said David Butler of Consumers Union.


Butler told Action 12 that cable customers across the country may be paying more than they have to, but may not realize it.


"I think if more consumers knew they could get the channels they wanted and pay less, they would take advantage of it," Butler said.


That's because a newly adopted provision in the decade-old federal Cable Act prohibits cable companies from requiring customers to buy multitier packages of programming to get premium or pay-per-view channels.


In other words, if you want a premium channel, you only have to pay for basic cable, a converter box and that channel. No other package is required.


Time Warner Cable said it has been offering it for years, but you may not have known it because, while the law requires cable companies to offer this less expensive option, it doesn't require them to advertise it.


"Many consumers don't know this because the cable companies aren't explicitly advertising the fact," Butler said.


Even asking about the money-saving option may not always do the trick. When Action 12 called Time Warner customer service, a local representative tried, but couldn't find that option in the system and told us we would have to have basic and standard service to get any premium channels.


The company said that representative was mistaken, and customers are routinely told about the less expensive option if they ask.


Time Warner told Action 12 that there are hundreds of variations of options it could promote, but it relies on customers to tell the company what they want.


"Our goal is to offer customers the greatest degree of choice," said Bev Greenberg of Time Warner.


Still, consumer advocates said cable companies should be up front and make customers aware of all the options available to them.


"I think some cable companies believe that if they let consumers know there is a way for them to save a significant amount of money by downgrading, downsizing the number of channels they get, a lot of consumers would take advantage of it," Butler said.

"I'd do it in a second," Thorn said.

"The law only applies to premium channels, but Consumers Union is taking one step further, and will call on Congress to investigate ways consumers could choose all of their cable channels on an a la carte basis and only pay for the channels you really want to watch," Action 12's Wainscott said.

Time Warner said eliminating standard cable would mean the loss of 48 channels for the average customer, but would save that customer about $26 a month

Consumers Union said the average cable customer only watches about 12 channels on a regular basis, no matter how many they pay for.