(A) Within the notice that is required by this chapter, subscribers shall be informed of at least the following billing practices of an MCS provider:
(1) Billing procedures (including payments necessary to avoid discontinuance of service);
(2) Payment due and delinquent dates;
(3) Amount of percentage of late charges, if any;
(4) Advance billing options;
(5) Resolution procedures for billing disputes, complaints, and inquiries;
(6) Refund policy for service interruptions, substandard signal quality, or uncontracted service;
(7) Current service rates in a detailed and understandable format;
(8) Procedure and amount of charges for installation or relocation of an MCS provider's facilities and/or equipment;
(9) Current schedule and explanation for any billed charges or other non-regularly occurring fees invoiced to subscribers; and
(10) Any lower-income or fixed income rates together with any qualifications to obtain such rates.
(B) All periodic service bills shall plainly state that service may be paid on an individual monthly basis by the end of the month for which the service was delivered with no late charge or penalty assessed.
(C) Existing subscribers shall be informed of the items listed in division (A) of this section at least once every 12 months.
(D) Whenever there is a change in an MCS provider's billing practices or payment requirements, all subscribers must be notified in writing at least 30 days before such billing practices or payment requirements become effective.
(E) In any case where a subscriber requests a cancellation or reduction of service within 30 days after the notification of a schedule rate or charge adjustment, then the subscriber's liability for the newly implemented rate or charge shall cease from the moment that the rate or charge adjustment becomes effective.
(F) Cable operators may identify as a separate line item of each regular subscriber bill the following:
(1) The amount of the total bill assessed as a franchise fee.
(2) The amount of the total bill assessed to satisfy any requirements imposed on the cable operator by the franchise agreement to support public, educational, or governmental channels or the use of such channels.
(3) The amount of any other fee, tax, assessment, or charge of any kind imposed by any governmental authority on the transaction between the operator and the subscriber. In order for a governmental fee or assessment to be separately identified under this section, it must be directly imposed by a governmental body on a transaction between a subscriber and an operator.
(G) The charge identified on the subscriber bill as the total charge for cable service should include all fees and costs itemized pursuant to this section.
(Ord. 4-1994-20, passed 4-12-94) Penalty, see § 112.999