Movie Captioning Update
Alan Kutner reports --We have been in communication with Cinemark Theatres, which seems to be the only chain that is making progress towards captioning its movie screens in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They have captioned the screens in their multiplex theaters in Somerdale, New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware. We have written a second letter asking when their theaters in Pennsylvania will have captioning.
Regal Cinemas has stated that they are having problems obtaining caption display devices. Apparently the devices are made by Sony Corporation in Japan and, as we know, Japan experienced tremendous problems this year with a tsunami and earthquake. Regal believes that they will be able to start converting their theaters in the beginning of 2012, so we will stay on top of this. We have requested a captioning rollout program for their theaters in Pennsylvania, but thus far we have not received a reply
AMC has promised that within two years they will have captioning. They stated that the caption display devices are not easily available, so we wrote back that Cinemark has had no problems in this regard.
Carmike Cinemas is the second-largest chain of movie theaters in Pennsylvania, and they specialize in providing theaters in rural areas. Incredibly, they state that they have no policy with regard to providing captioning in their theaters and that they are evaluating their options. We are trying to pressure them to come up with a solution quickly.
December 2011