How To Get Rid Of Broadcast TV Fees (Quickly & Easily)

You can get all of your programming needs met online and pay a fraction of the price while still enjoying your favorite shows! How can you get rid of the pesky broadcast TV fee? Is it possible?

The most sure-fire way to eliminate the broadcast TV fee is by opting for an internet-only plan. You can still get access to live television by using a supplementary app (like Roku) and an HDTV antenna. This is a great option for those looking to avoid the $15 per month average broadcast TV fee.

Follow along to learn more about getting rid of the broadcast TV fee and alternatives to streaming every channel!

It’s important to know what a broadcast TV fee covers before opting in or out of it.

The ‘Broadcast TV Fee’ is charged by your cable provider to you (the customer). They claim it’s required to cover the costs they incur in order to provide area-specific broadcast stations to you.

It usually includes your local news channel, local sports channels, other local channels, and affiliates like FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC.

The consensus is that you are usually responsible for paying for the fee to include these channels, regardless of if they’re included in your particular package. It seems ridiculous, I know.

Networks are notorious for increasing the fees without warning and packaging them up under obscure names like “Miscellaneous News Fee.”

Generally speaking, broadcast TV costs about $15 per month. The cheapest providers offer it for $12 per month, while more expensive fees can exceed $20 per month.

What this really boils down to is who your service provider is and what their current offerings are once you sign up.

Remember, according to what was discussed above, these prices are always subject to change or include a surcharge on top of your normal monthly broadcast fee.

The only way to 100% guarantee that you won’t be charged a broadcast TV fee is by going with an internet-only plan.

You can also talk to your service provider and explain that you don’t want to include broadcast services or threaten to switch companies. DirecTV and Verizon Fios claim to not charge broadcast TV fees at all.

However, this doesn’t ensure that you won’t see a surcharge pop up on your cable bill when you least expect it. ALWAYS read the fine print- see if your cable plan is subject to change. When in doubt, cut the service off altogether.

It’s unfortunate, but until providers are held accountable, you risk being taken advantage of if you aren’t paying close attention.

Luckily, in this day and age, there are plenty of alternatives to broadcast TV.

Apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime have a ton of movies and TV shows that you can stream for reasonable prices. Additionally, YouTube TV will allow you to watch live sports games and news channels at a fraction of broadcast TV prices.

If you like a particular network, shows like Below Deck or Vanderpump Rules are available on the Bravo App- but only for those with cable services. There’s a way to get around that:

Hot Tip Alert: Not everyone may have this opportunity, but if you have parents or grandparents like mine- over their dead bodies would they turn away from cable and broadcast TV. No matter what, they will forever maintain a plan that includes this (fees or not).

With their permission, of course, you can use their login credentials to get access to all your favorite network apps. You can offer to chip a small amount (much smaller than you would be paying for your own plan) into their bill every month!

Usually, the amount of devices that can use one network login is upwards of 10. I haven’t run into any problems with regards to getting kicked off yet!

Related Questions

Why is there a broadcast TV surcharge on my monthly bill?

An official statement from Spectrum says describes it best:“Federal law allows local U.S. broadcast television stations (i.e., affiliates of networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, etc.) to negotiate with cable and satellite providers in order to obtain “consent” to carry their broadcast signals (Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992).As a direct result of local broadcast or “network-affiliated” TV stations in recent years dramatically increasing the rates to Charter Communications to distribute their signals to our customers, we’re forced to pass those charges on as a “Broadcast TV Surcharge.” These local TV signals were historically made available to us at no cost or low cost. However, in recent years the prices demanded by local broadcast TV stations have necessitated that we pass these costs on to customers.”Whether or not this extra fee is worth it? That’s only up to you to decide. I think there are plenty of alternative options if you don’t feel like incurring random fees.

How do I get broadcast TV on Roku?

Roku offers channels like “NewsON” and “Haystack News” to stream local news networks using your city and zip code. For the weather, look for “WeatherNation,” “The Weather Network,” and “The Weather Channel”- all available on Roku TV.To stream broadcast TV for free, all you have to do is attach an HDTV antenna to your Roku TV and follow the prompts to find your favorite channel!

Where can I find the broadcast TV guide?

To find the broadcast TV guide, simply turn on your television and click ‘Guide’ on the remote. This will give you an option to see what time your favorite shows are playing.Toggle up and down to see broadcast TV channels in particular (usually lower numbers).If you’re using an HDTV antenna, usually, the guide will appear automatically.

If you’re looking for a way to save money on your monthly cable or internet bill, opting for an internet-only plan may be the answer.

With so many great options out there today, you can get rid of the broadcast TV fee with ease!

Overall, if you are considering cutting cable TV or don’t need it at this point, but you still crave live television programming- go with a supplementary app like Roku and an HDTV antenna. It’ll ensure that you can watch the broadcast TV you love without paying any more than is necessary.