Sec. 76.953  Limitation on filing a complaint.

    (a) Complaint regarding a rate change. A complaint alleging an 
unreasonable rate for cable programming service or associated equipment 
may be filed against a cable operator only in the event of a rate 
change, including an increase or decrease in rates, or a change in rates 
that results from a change in a system's service tiers. A rate change 
may involve an implicit rate increase (such as deleting channels from a 
tier

[[Page 602]]

without a corresponding lowering of the rate for that tier). A complaint 
regarding a rate change for cable programming service or associated 
equipment may be filed against a cable operator only in the event of a 
rate change.
    (b) Late-filed complaints will be dismissed with prejudice.

[ 58 FR 29753 , May 21, 1993, as amended at  58 FR 46736 , Sept. 2, 1993;  59 FR 17960 , 17974, Apr. 15, 1994;  60 FR 35868 , July 12, 1995;  61 FR 18979 , 
Apr. 30, 1996]