TVfreedom.org Hails FTC’s DirecTV Complaint, Says Agency Was ‘Right to Step In’

TVfreedom.org weighed in with a statement Thursday backing the FTC in its allegations in a federal complaint that DirecTV engaged in deceptive advertising practices since 2007 (see 1503110042). “DirecTV's failure to clearly disclose the terms and prices customers would pay as part of contract agreements is unacceptable,” the group said. “It further demonstrates that greater regulatory oversight is needed to address these market failures. The FTC is right to step in.” TVfreedom.org and TV broadcasters have long supported “more transparent billing practices by all pay-TV companies,” hailing Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., for “spearheading efforts last year to shine a spotlight on this questionable behavior,” the group said. McCaskill tried unsuccessfully last year to organize a hearing on pay-TV billing practices when she chaired the Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee (see 1412030047). McCaskill, now ranking member on the Senate Investigations Subcommittee, issued a statement of her own Wednesday, backing the FTC for "finally taking a swing for consumers." According to TVfreedom.org, Congress “has a unique opportunity to promote greater transparency and accountability in the video marketplace through its update of the Communications Act and help thwart the on-going consumer abuse by America's pay-TV industry. Promoting greater transparency and fairness to existing pay-TV business and billing practices is a vital and core consumer protection that should be incorporated into any proposed reform legislation." DirecTV has called the FTC’s allegations “flat-out wrong,” and vowed to “vigorously defend ourselves, for as long as it takes.” DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer declined comment Thursday on the TVfreedom.org statement, as did NCTA spokesman Brian Dietz on the TVfreedom.org allegation that there's "on-going consumer abuse" in the pay-TV industry.