U.S. Congress scrutinizes pay TV billing, competitive practices

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Congress scrutinizes pay TV billing, competitive practices

By David Shepardson
June 9, 2016

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel disclosed Thursday it is investigating pay TV competition and customer service issues and will call executives from top cable and satellite providers to testify.

The investigation comes as the U.S. cable and satellite TV industry ranks among the lowest in consumer surveys over billing and other practices.

Senators Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican who chairs a panel on investigations and Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, said in a statement Thursday that they will hold a June 23 hearing that will include testimony from Comcast Corp, Charter Communications, DirectTV, a unit of AT&T Inc and Dish Network Corp.

The pair said in a joint statement the panel has been investigating the largest cable and satellite TV companies for more than a year, looking at potential barriers to competition in the industry, "including the difficulties faced by companies attempting to create innovative new television delivery models."

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-scrutinizes-pay-tv-billing-competitive-practices-172640983--finance.html?nhp=1

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I've had no TV for 4 years

No bills, no commercials, and lots of free time to get on the internet

and read and do other things

The TV ain't worth 3 cents to me

[forest444]

2. I dropped mine six months ago.

And I should have done so long ago.

But I could swear Cox Communications has been throttling my internet ever since.

[keylargo]

4. I'm going on at least 7 years...

Hell, I don't turn it on when I'm in hotels w/o internet!!! I much prefer my own stock movies and videos!

[phazed0]

3. Well this is an utterly hilarious piece of work! What a farce!

Congress and the FCC need not look any further than the Congress and the FCC as to why this situation exists. It's their F*ing mess they helped create.

No, no.. this is to placate people into thinking something is being done... farcical! I needed a good laugh!

[HereSince1628]

5. Cable television is America's answer to the Roman Circus

The empire will surely appear to deal with cable concerns.

[bemildred]

6. I don't have TV, this is why.

Charter is constantly trying to get me to cough up the extra 15$ a month for it, the teaser, but they can kiss my ass.