Too bad this idea will never see the light of day, the cell phone companies will kill this before it even reaches the FCC s in-box.


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.

Link

Even if the FCC allows it, I don't think most movie theaters would want to take-on the liability of preventing someone from calling 911.  After the first time a customer, employee, or a person near the movie theater is intentionally prevented from calling 911 in an emergency, you'll probably see a huge lawsuit.z

That would never fly.  Even if (big if) someone could convince the FCC to allow them to jam phones in their building (somehow not interfering with phones outside or next door) then it wouldn't last long.  

The first incident of Aunt Flo suffering a massive coronoray and Uncle Ted gets on the stand and tells the jury how everyone in the theater tried to call 911 to no avail and by the time someone found a theater employee poor Flo was dead he'd end up owning the place and every other jammer in the country would be shut off.

Quoted: Even if the FCC allows it, I don't think most movie theaters would want to take-on the liability of preventing someone from calling 911.  After the first time a customer, employee, or a person near the movie theater is intentionally prevented from calling 911 in an emergency, you'll probably see a huge lawsuit.z

Agreed, to much of a liability if an emergency situation arises.

I wish they would



Too many folks that don't practice courtesy

Quoted: Even if the FCC allows it, I don't think most movie theaters would want to take-on the liability of preventing someone from calling 911.  After the first time a customer, employee, or a person near the movie theater is intentionally prevented from calling 911 in an emergency, you'll probably see a huge lawsuit.z

In the time it would take them to find their phone and dial 911, someone could have run to the lobby to alert the staff.
To be honest, I thought some theatres were already jamming phones. I know my phone wont work in the local mall, but it wont work in a lot of buildings with a high steel content.

How hard would it be for someone to go to the lobby to call 911?  You'd lose, what, 15 seconds?  

Or is to too hard to tear yourself away from Home Alone 6 to go outside to make an emergency call?  

All the theaters have to do is line the theaters with wire mesh, and no cell phones are going to work in there, and they wouldn't even need to do squat with the FCC or the Federal government.  I know if the law is changed to allow them, electronic jammers would be less expensive, but controlling their range can be tricky.

They allow jamming in Europe and rumour has it some theatres already have illegal jammers set up.

Maybe the movie theatres just need to make their roofs thicker.

Yeah, it's those dreaded cell phones that are keeping people out of theaters...

I heard a story about how a theater will sell you a ticket to one movie when you're seeing another to generate better revenue.  They could care less WHICH one you see, but they pay a higher percentage of the ticket $ to the distributor on the newer and more popular films like "Kong", especially in the first weeks.  "Oops, wrong ticket, oh well, no ones checking at the door"

No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out. It will take several years for them to die but as more and more people get big screen TV's and surround sound they will stay at home to watch movies. Some studios are even experimenting with ways to allow people to see brand new movies at home. Once they get that down bye bye theaters. I will be glad to see them go. As rude as people are getting these days I would much rather watch a movie at home then in a theater with assmonkeys.

Quoted: How hard would it be for someone to go to the lobby to call 911?  You'd lose, what, 15 seconds?   Or is to too hard to tear yourself away from Home Alone 6 to go outside to make an emergency call?   All the theaters have to do is line the theaters with wire mesh, and no cell phones are going to work in there, and they wouldn't even need to do squat with the FCC or the Federal government.  I know if the law is changed to allow them, electronic jammers would be less expensive, but controlling their range can be tricky.

Going to the lobby might work great for MAKING an emergency call, but doesn't address the issue of RECEIVING an emergency call.  

A far better solution would be for movie theaters to lobby the states to allow other patrons to beat to death people who talk on cell phones during movies. I could support that law wholeheartedly.

Quoted: No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out. It will take several years for them to die but as more and more people get big screen TV's and surround sound they will stay at home to watch movies. Some studios are even experimenting with ways to allow people to see brand new movies at home. Once they get that down bye bye theaters. I will be glad to see them go. As rude as people are getting these days I would much rather watch a movie at home then in a theater with assmonkeys.

Man I couldn't agree more!  Between the sparse selection of good movies, and the prospect of having to deal with today's public, I stopped going years ago.

They're screwed.

ETA: Hollywood should release all new movies on HD DVD's and charge a premium for the first year or two of release. That would help recoup some of the money lost in theatric displays, and would allow those who are movie fans enough to spend the money to see it right away.  Those of us that were willing to wait would be able to buy it cheaper after waiting, just like nowadays.

While I find it annoying anytime I hear a cell phone ring in public (mine is always on vibrate, and I never get calls anyways ), setting up a cell phone jammer in theaters is pretty absurd.

If there was a jammer, it should only be able to work during the movie (does it detract from anything if someone is talking on their phone before the movie starts?), and only in the actual theater (ie not the hallways, the snack bar, bathroom, etc).  But that probably won't happen.

The problem is people being rude and placing their selfish ass above others.  There are plenty of disclaimers before a movie starts to silence or turn off your phone.

The REAL reasons movie theaters want to ban cell phones are that people are using them to TXT msg their friends and give them a thumbs up or down on the movie. Make better movies.

-Foxxz

can you here me now?,,,,,Nope!

Quoted: Quoted: No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out. It will take several years for them to die but as more and more people get big screen TV's and surround sound they will stay at home to watch movies. Some studios are even experimenting with ways to allow people to see brand new movies at home. Once they get that down bye bye theaters. I will be glad to see them go. As rude as people are getting these days I would much rather watch a movie at home then in a theater with assmonkeys. I don't think theaters are going away soon. I do understand your point about poorly behaved people in theaters-in fact a leo told me which door to leave a mall by after the movies because there were so many fights in the parking lot late at at night; but seeing a good movie on a big screen (a real big screen, not a sorta big screen) with popcorn and soda (preferably pop corn and soda that don't cost as much as a full meal at a restaurant) are not the same thing as watching at home on a big TV.

You must live in a "nice area".  It isn't worth the hassle around here anymore. Damn shame too.

Fuck that.  I have two young kids who would be with a relative while my wife and I are at the movies...I need to be reachable.
If people would just be smart and considerate enough to set their phones to vibrate-only and leave the theater when they get a call, none of this shit would be necessary anyway.

Quoted: Too bad this idea will never see the light of day, the cell phone companies will kill this before it even reaches the FCC s in-box.

It's a dumb idea.

What if you are a considerate sort and have your phone on vibrate for emergency calls?

The practical solution is simply to eject anyone who doesn't turn their ringer off.

Theaters aren't the only ones rumored to be using illegal cell jammers.  Churches, hotel chains, restaurants, libraries and tourist attractions might be using them too.  Cell phone noise pollution is becoming a major problem for many businesses even when they have signs requesting the phones be turned off before entering.  Cells phone users might just become the next "tobacco smokers."

If movies did not  suck so bad, attendance might go up...

Quoted: The REAL reasons movie theaters want to ban cell phones are that people are using them to TXT msg their friends and give them a thumbs up or down on the movie. Make better movies. -Foxxz

They can't even wait til the end of the movie to tell them if its any good? Thats a lack of consideration on the movie-goers part for the rest of the audience.

Quoted: No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out.

Nothing equals the theatre experience. Sorry you have such lousy screens in your area.

Quoted: Quoted: The REAL reasons movie theaters want to ban cell phones are that people are using them to TXT msg their friends and give them a thumbs up or down on the movie. Make better movies. -Foxxz They can't even wait til the end of the movie to tell them if its any good? Thats a lack of consideration on the movie-goers part for the rest of the audience.

I can't imagine text messaging being that disruptive to the rest of the audience.

Quoted: Quoted: No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out. It will take several years for them to die but as more and more people get big screen TV's and surround sound they will stay at home to watch movies. Some studios are even experimenting with ways to allow people to see brand new movies at home. Once they get that down bye bye theaters. I will be glad to see them go. As rude as people are getting these days I would much rather watch a movie at home then in a theater with assmonkeys. I don't think theaters are going away soon. I do understand your point about poorly behaved people in theaters-in fact a leo told me which door to leave a mall by after the movies because there were so many fights in the parking lot late at at night; but seeing a good movie on a big screen (a real big screen, not a sorta big screen) with popcorn and soda (preferably pop corn and soda that don't cost as much as a full meal at a restaurant) are not the same thing as watching at home on a big TV.

Aimless you need to see what a good front projection TV in hi-def looks like. A 9 ft wide screen from 12-14 ft away is fantastic, beats the hell out of most theaters I’ve been in.

As to cell phone jamming I noticed at the Newark Airport just leaving the customs area that my cell phone says “emergency calls only” or something similar. They must have a selective jammer set up in the customs section that spills over into the exit area.
For those that say they must have cell phone coverage 24/7 everywhere because of home emergencies get real! How doting have we become that we MUST always be reachable because little Johnny could fall and hurt himself in your absence. If I think there might be something serious at home that will need my response I don’t venture far from home. Does your cell phone work in planes? out in the boonies? in tunnels? please don’t use the excuse that you must be always instantly reachable to justify your opinion against cell blocking. You already go places that your cell phone will not work, place a sign in the theater stating the lack of cell coverage and live with it!

Rich V

Edit- this is not aimed at Aimless, just my comment to other postings

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The REAL reasons movie theaters want to ban cell phones are that people are using them to TXT msg their friends and give them a thumbs up or down on the movie. Make better movies. -Foxxz They can't even wait til the end of the movie to tell them if its any good? Thats a lack of consideration on the movie-goers part for the rest of the audience. I can't imagine text messaging being that disruptive to the rest of the audience.

Some guy sitting behind you punching keys on his phone most certainly intrudes on your enjoyment of a movie. Anyone rude enough to be doing that is most likely also jabbering away with his neighbor about the messages being exchanged.

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Quoted:
No matter what they do, movie theaters are on their way out.
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Nothing equals the theatre experience. Sorry you have such lousy screens in your area.




Realy? Hell my setup at home is just as good as any movie theater I have ever been to. 52" High Deff Screen with 7.1 surround sound. 52" screen sitting 12 feet away on a comfortable leather couch with all the lights off and the sound working is better than any movie theater there is. I can pause and pee, get a beer make some more popcorn. It beats the "theatre experience" to hell and back. If you don't have a good setup I suggest you look into it. You will not go to the movies again.

I would like a permit that would allow me to shoot in the face people who talk on their phones in the theatre.

I'll bet you could add some "structural elements" that would make cells useless from inside.

Quoted: Theaters aren't the only ones rumored to be using illegal cell jammers.  Churches, hotel chains, restaurants, libraries and tourist attractions might be using them too.  Cell phone noise pollution is becoming a major problem for many businesses even when they have signs requesting the phones be turned off before entering.  Cells phone users might just become the next "tobacco smokers."

Then they'll be places many people I know will simply will not and can not go.  It will hurt their business.  I'm on call 24/7 and many people I know are on call several days a week so those places will not see our business.

If they want to get me in the theatres then what they really need to do is come up with something somewhat original and stop making comedy copies of old TV shows and Disney flicks (have they redone the Shaggy DA yet?)  Or maybe they should stop trying to push their American hating, pro terrorist, anti-gun liberal agenda

Folks,
is it really that hard to put your phone on vibrate? Mine's set on vibrate all the time.

I have mixed opinions when it comes to going to theaters.  It's a nice experience, and the theaters(especially around where I live) are quite nice, but it's expensive.  But it can't be more expensive than going to buy a big screen TV and a surround sound system and replicating the experience.

Edit-in the past 3 years I've only seen about 3 truly good movies in theaters.  The rest I've seen on DVD.