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Theaters may ask to jam cell phones

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Movie theater owners faced with falling attendance are considering asking federal authorities for permission to jam cell phone reception in an attempt to stop annoying conversations during films, the head of the industry's trade group said on Tuesday.

Industry leaders at the ShoWest conference for theater owners want to find ways to win back crowds.

"I don't know what's going on with consumers that they have to talk on phones in the middle of theaters," John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, told the ShoWest conference in Las Vegas.

Theaters are trying a number of ways to silence cell phones, from sweeps by ushers to funny fake movie trailers urging viewers to shut off phones.

Fithian said owners were considering other steps if that does not work.

"We will actually petition the Federal Communications (Commission) to remove the block" on jamming cell phones, he said.

That may be difficult, since federal law and FCC rules prohibit the use of cell phone jammers.

The industry is broadly trying to increase interest in the movies.

Motion Picture Association of America Chief Executive Dan Glickman told ShoWest that the industry is researching why and when people go to the movies and might consider an advertising campaign to encourage people to go out to the movies, just as the milk industry has succeeded with its Got Milk? campaign.

bravo! i'm for this!

I second this motion.

stupid fuckers need to realize that people won't pay to go see remakes of shitty old movies


it's not the cell phones (altho super annoying) that's causing a dip in paying movie goers

I had read somewhere that they created a wall paint that blocked cell signals.

yeah

by running current thru it, you can turn its blocking properties on or off

it's pretty slick

I thought all you really needed was a brass mesh, like screen almost surrounding the room. It isn't a jammer just the "brass mesh" bounces the cell transmission.

I boy-cotted movies long ago, I refuse to lay down 40-50.00 for maybe 2hours of viewing pleasure for my wife and 2 kids, a few sodas and some pop-corn / candy.

I remember the day when you could bring your own "snack" and beverage into the show, not get charged 400% markup for that same candy bar you could by and CVS.

Isn't X-Men 3 coming out directly on-demand / pay-per-view? I thought I read that someplace. I suspect "going to the movies" will be a thing of the past soon enough.

Yea i dont think its the cell phones makin people not go. I think its the outragous costs of going and fact that 90 % of what they are makin now days is complete shit.

I agree 100% there hasn't been to many movies that I've had a remote intrest in seeing in the past 3months the next good thing on the horizon that I want to see is X3. It's shitty filmmaking making people not want to drop the cash to go to the movies not just assholes on their cell phone.

On demand and ppv is making the ways of the movies older and older. therea re very few great movies out there worth paying the money to see when it 3 months you can catch it whenever you want from your couch for 1/4 the price.

I agree that shitty movies is probably the leading reason for drops in attendance. I will say, however, that going to the movies is still a pretty fun experience - can be anyway. I don't usually buy much of the food and or drinks, but I still like to go now and then.

Most of the movies that I want to see now though I'll wait for On Demand / PPV and watch it on my 50 inch DLP high def tv. Movies like X3 I'll go see at the theater.

Are you really not allowed to bring outside stuff into movie theatre?

I wear form fitting clothes so I can't hide anything so I just walk in with a can of soda or maybe a snack but I've never been asked to not bring it in.

Had a cab driver once that had a japanese wife. Said he went to Tokyo to visit the in-laws and picked up some sort of cellphone jammer that I guess you cant get in the states. Said he would wait for a cab full of sorority girls to all start yapping on their cellphones then press the button

hahaha I'm going to buy one of those things... man that would be awesome.

I agree with you both. Goin to a movie or out to eat or anywhere being near a group of young women and listining to the horendus nonsense coming out of there mouths can drive you insane. Id bet money that a group of 16/17 year olds is way more annoying than a group of sorority girls any day of the week though.

Actually would not be cool for me. I keep my phone on vibrate in the theatre most of the time just in case I get an emergency call from work. Sucks but I am on call 24/7 for the hospital.

You turned really white all of a sudden LS~...

Yeah, I dont like the cell jamming. Just for reasons LS posted. Emergency volunteers need it in case of a call. Parents need it in case their sitter calls in an emergency.

What is needed is to bring back ushers. Ushers that will actually throw people out for being rude.

Need some Bruce Campbell ushers.

whats so hard about politely turning around and asking whoever is being an annoying prick to please be quiet?

Tuggan wrote:whats so hard about politely turning around and asking whoever is being an annoying prick to please be quiet?

because heat packing negros don't like to be told to "please be quiet"..hell even the non heat packing ones for that matter

paranoid scary little world you must live in, ouchy.

Carry a real big knife ( i like the smith and columbia river theres a real sweet assisted open sog too) and a pistol grip shotty in your trunk when your in a questionable neighborhood. Most negros walk and talk hard but stop when they realize it doesnt work on you. If where you live is that shitty you might want to look into conceal and carry. Not sure on if its leagal where you are though.

Why even bother with a confrontation with some wannabe G felon? Im not gettin stabbed at the fucking movies. Ushers with real power and backup is a good idea.

Ushers with real power?

The 16 year old high school student would sooner shit his pants than confront someone obviously belligerent...