Theater owners will petition FCC to jam cellphones

With flat panel prices in free-fall and sizes approaching those anaemic megaplex screens, it’s no wonder the National Association of Theater Owners is in a panic about the decline in consumers willing to slap down a near-sawbuck to watch a flick. What to do? Well, it looks like cellphone jamming is the new baby jeebus in an industry attempt to lure your azz back into their buttery seats. See, NATO (er, yeah) has announced plans to petition the FCC for permission to jam cell phone signals within theatres to “block rude behaviour” – just as the French have already done. Of course, it’s still ambiguously legal to jam signals passively via special wallpaper or even by constructing theatres with materials embedded with metal fragments. Hell, they could even construct ‘em with thick concrete walls and steel skeletons but then that would also prevent noise bleed from the action thrilla playing next door and cut into their profits, dig?

[mahboud @ Dec 21st 2005 11:27PM]

That's too bad. Knowing that I can be reached via cell phone if something at work or at home goes awry is a reason I can go to the movies. Knowing that a babysitter can contact us makes us feel more comfortable going to the movies.



Oh well, better spend more money on the home theater, and forget about going out to the movies.

[sandra @ Dec 22nd 2005 2:50AM]

Well I DO find people letting their phone ring in the theater annoying...they could AT least! put them into vibrating mode...really, it's not that complicated, no?

I don't have a cellphone...for now, but I would like some poeple to watch what they are doing, heh, as if anyone cared, right? argh, anyways this should be understood. that is why I go to the movies when I'm almost sure there won't be anyone else in the theater or very few ppl, they listen to it.