Louisville, Ky. — A Jefferson County resident has filed a class-action lawsuit against Spectrum, accusing the telecommunications company of deceptive and unfair billing related to a monthly Broadcast TV surcharge.
The lawsuit focuses on a $28 monthly fee Spectrum charges customers, which is purportedly intended to cover retransmission fees paid to local television stations such as WDRB. Spectrum has maintained that this fee is “mandated externally and beyond Spectrum’s control.”
However, the plaintiff disputes this claim, arguing that if the surcharge truly reflects retransmission costs, Spectrum would be paying more than $34 million annually to local stations — a figure the lawsuit suggests is significantly inflated. According to the complaint, Spectrum may be making improper profits from these fees, which it is legally prohibited from doing.
The Law Office of Winton and Hiestand, representing the plaintiff and filing the class-action suit, is actively investigating the extent of the alleged overcharges. Attorney Chauncey Hiestand emphasized the potential scale of the issue, stating, “For example, hypothetically, if it’s only a dollar or two of improper profit per customer, multiply that by every customer in the metro area, the state of Kentucky, or even nationwide. Those numbers per month become astronomical.”
The lawsuit seeks reimbursement for customers who were allegedly overcharged.
Spectrum customers who wish to join the class-action lawsuit can visit the law firm’s website, where a form is available by clicking on the prominent red banner at the top of the page.