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Movie Theaters May Ask Permission to Jam Cell Phone Reception

7:30 am on March 16, 2006 | Category: Business, Mobile Devices

American movie theater owners say they are considering asking federal regulators for permission to block cell phone signals within theaters.

Such a move was discussed at the ShoWest conference for theater owners, as a way to prevent annoying conversations during films. It has been speculated that such disturbances are partially responsible for declining movie attendance in the past few years.

â€œI don’t know what’s going on with consumers that they have to talk on phones in the middle of theaters,â€ said National Association of Theater Owners president, John Fithian, at the ShoWest conference in Las Vegas.

Although theaters have already made numerous attempts to remind patrons to keep their phones switched off, Fithian says that blocking cell phone reception is the only totally effective solution. To do this, the Association would need to lobby the FCC to remove a ban on jamming cell phones.

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