Sec. 76.964  Written notification of changes in rates and services.

    (a) In addition to the requirement of Sec. 76.309(c)(3)(i)(B) 
regarding advance notification to customers of any changes in rates, 
programming services or channel positions, cable systems shall give 30 
days written notice to both subscribers and local franchising 
authorities before implementing any rate or service change. Such notice 
shall state the precise amount of any rate change and briefly explain in 
readily understandable fashion the cause of the rate change (e.g., 
inflation, changes in external costs or the addition/deletion of 
channels). When the change involves the addition or deletion of 
channels,

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each channel added or deleted must be separately identified. Notices to 
subscribers shall inform them of their right to file complaints about 
changes in cable programming service tier rates and services, shall 
state that the subscriber may file the complaint within 90 days of the 
effective date of the rate change, and shall provide the address and 
phone number of the local franchising authority.
    (b) To the extent the operator is required to provide notice of 
service and rate changes to subscribers, the operator may provide such 
notice using any reasonable means at its sole discretion.
    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of Part 76, a cable operator 
shall not be required to provide prior notice of any rate change that is 
the result of a regulatory fee, franchise fee, or any other fee, tax, 
assessment, or charge of any kind imposed by any Federal agency, State, 
or franchising authority on the transaction between the operator and the 
subscriber.

[ 61 FR 18979 , Apr. 30, 1996]