Theaters May Ask to Jam Cell Phones

摘要：American 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.美国影院行业协会的负责人表示，为阻止观众在看电影过程中接听电话干扰他人，影院业主目前正考虑请求联邦通信委员会允许影院对手机接听进行信号干扰，以改善影院观众不断减少的状况。

American 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.

Industry leaders at the ShoWest conference for theater owners in Las Vegas 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.

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.

美国影院行业协会的负责人表示，为阻止观众在看电影过程中接听电话干扰他人，影院业主目前正考虑请求联邦通信委员会允许影院对手机接听进行信号干扰，以改善影院观众不断减少的状况。

在拉斯维加斯召开的影院业主ShoWest研讨会上，行业领头人们谈论最多的问题就是如何把观众重新请回影院。

美国影院业主协会总裁约翰·费西安在研讨会上说，"我不明白为什么观众们非要在看电影的时候接打电话。"

影院已经尝试了很多办法让手机"安静"，比如，让引座员制止观众接听手机，或者播放有趣的模仿电影预告片提醒观众关机。

费西安说，如果这些措施无法奏效，影院业主们将考虑其他办法。

他说，"我们将向联邦通信委员会提出申请，解除在电影院内干扰手机信号的禁令。"

由于联邦法律和联邦通信委员会规定禁止对手机信号进行干扰，所以这个想法也许很难实现。 电影业正想方设法增强观众对于电影的兴趣。

美国电影协会首席执行官丹·格里克曼在ShoWest大会上说，电影业目前正在分析人们去影院看电影的原因和时间，不久可能会考虑打一场"广告战"，以吸引人们到影院看电影。