During its late newscast Tuesday, WMAQ-TV, the NBC station in Chicago, teased a story by asking viewers if they think they’re paying too much for cable TV.
The question was especially provocative considering WMAQ and NBC are owned by cable giant Comcast, which serves the Chicago market.
The report covered a survey and report by the Citizens Utility Board, a consumer group focused on cutting utility bills, that found that 51% of consumers felt their pay-TV bill was too high and that 32% said they didn’t pay for TV.
The CUB report featured tips for cutting pay-TV bills. It recommended cutting back on the number of channels you get, acquiring an antenna to watch over-the-air channels, and subscribing to streaming services, particularly if one is interested in watching on mobile devices.
WMAQ reporter Charlie Wojciechowski also told viewers that the CUB recommends paying attention to the rates cable and satellite companies offer to new subscribers and going back to your provider to renegotiate.
After the story, anchor Allison Rosati told viewers that that “cable giant Comcast is the parent of NBCUniversal.”
