Syracuse, N.Y. — Time Warner Cable is raising its cable television and Internet service prices and imposing a new fee for retransmitting broadcast stations that customers can get free over the air.

The media giant said the higher rates will increase the average customer's bill 6.4 percent. It attributed the increase in part to rising rates that television networks and programming providers are charging Time Warner for the right to carry their channels on its cable system.

"We work our hardest to control these costs on your behalf, but the price of programming is increasing dramatically," the company said in a notice to customers.

Another factor is the cost to maintain and grow its network, the company said. Time Warner spokeswoman Joli Plucknette-Farmen said the company invested $227 million in its network across the Northeast in 2013.

The company's standard television service, which includes about 80 mostly standard-definition channels, will rise from $79.99 to $82.99 a month. Digital television service, which includes more than 200 channels, many in high-definition, will increase from $88.98 to $92.99.

In addition, the cost of renting a cable converter box, which is needed to receive the company's digital television service, will rise from $8.99 to $10.25 a month for the first box and from $6.20 to $7.45 for each additional box.

For the first time, customers will be charged what Time Warner is calling a "broadcast TV fee" of $2.25 a month. The company said the fee will defray the increased costs that broadcasters charge Time Warner to retransmit their over-the-air signals.

Plucknette-Farmen said broadcasters used to charge nothing for the right to transmit their over-the-air signals. However, in recent years, they have begun charging retransmission fees, and those costs rose 40 percent last year, she said.

"This will give customers a better understanding of what we're being charged," she said.

Programming from local broadcast stations can be received free with an indoor or outdoor antenna. However, Time Warner customers will not have the choice of dropping broadcast channels from their cable service to avoid the broadcast TV fee. Plucknette-Farmen said federal law requires the company to include local broadcast stations in its service.

The company also is adding $3 to the monthly fee for all of its Internet services. The price of its standard broadband service, its most popular, is rising from $54.99 to $57.99 a month.

Plucknette-Farmen said the 70 percent of Time Warner's customers who are receiving a promotional discount will be charged the higher service and equipment rates after their promotional periods ends. For everyone else, the new rates will show up on their next bills, she said.

Time Warner Cable Price Increase Notice

Contact Rick Moriarty at rmoriarty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3148. Follow him on Twitter @RickMoriartyCNY and on Facebook at rick.moriarty.92.