US CC: Important MoPix News: End of MoPix Film and Showtime Listings

From: WGBH - May 20, 2005

Hello to the thousands of MoPix movie fans out there. The team here at MoPix central command has an important announcement regarding accessible movie information to share with you, so please do read on.

In an effort to move important listing information into the mainstream media, June 3 will be the last detailed (show-by-show, screen-by-screen) posting by WGBH's Media Access Group of MoPix film and showtime information across the US and Canada. Our e-mails and Web site will evolve into a place where you can get more global movie access information.

This activity, begun when there were 12 MoPix-equipped theaters, has grown over the years to include information for over 170 theaters each week. This is a service that WGBH has provided free of charge to the studios, theater chains, and to theater fans who now can enjoy over 70 films each year with closed captioning and descriptive narration.

We have long believed that the key to the growth of access to first-run films in theaters is the integration of access information-- notations as to what films are accessible and at what times-- in mainstream marketing efforts by the studios and theater chains. These include newspaper listings, Web sites such as movietickets.com and enjoytheshow.com, signage at theaters and in any number of telecommunications and print advertising methods that the studios and chains create and use to attract patrons.

Each of the chains that we partner with on our MoPix efforts have been notified that we will, from June 6 onward, continue to list the available films, MoPix-equipped theater locations and voice phone numbers of theaters via the MoPix News e-mail update and the www.mopix.org site. However, patrons will be looking to them to provide the specific film and showtime information for each theater location.

A note about the accessibility of theater chains' Web sites for users who are blind or have low vision: WGBH's Media Access Group has provided each of the major chains that have MoPix systems installed in one or more auditoriums with an "access inventory" of their site. This inventory outlines the major obstacles that users who rely on screen readers to navigate Web sites find at their sites. WGBH has offered our valuable Web accessibility consultation services to them free of charge to make their sites more accessible to all users.

Here now is a list of contact information for the headquarters of theater chains with MoPix installations, along with the level of detail they are currently providing patrons about closed captioned and described film offerings. We look forward to the continued growth, and increased awareness of, captioning and description for movies in theaters, and will continue to work with patrons, theaters and the Hollywood studios to realize that goal.

AMC Theaters (accessible film information for AMC locations in New Jersey and in the Washington, D.C. area is available online at www.amctheatres.com, AMC plans to have accessible film information at the remaining MoPix-equipped locations available online soon)
920 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
816 221-4000

CEC Theatres
Cinema Entertainment Corp.
Box 1126
St. Cloud, MN 56302
320 251-9131
(accessible film information for CEC MoPix locations is not currently available at the chain's site, www.cectheatres.com)

Clearview Theaters
97 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928
908 918-2000
(accessible film information for all Clearview MoPix locations is available at www.clearviewcinemas.com)

Consolidated Theaters
5970 Fairview Road, Suite 600
Charlotte, NC 28210
704 554-1695
(Consolidated does not currently list accessible film information on their site, www.consolidatedmovies.com)

Crown Theatres
4 North Main Street
South Norwalk, CT 06845
203 846-8800
(accessible film information for the three Crown MoPix locations is available at the theater page level of www.crowntheatres.com)

Douglas Theatre Company
1300 P Street
Lincoln NE 68508
402 474-4909
(Douglas does not currently list accessible film information on their site, www.douglastheatres.com)

Famous Players Theatres
146 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1P3
Canada
(accessible film information for all Famous Players locations is available at www.famousplayers.com/theatres/rwc_dvs.asp)

Loews Cineplex Entertainment
711 5th Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10022
646 521-6000
(accessible film information for all Loews theaters locations, with the exception of the Loews Theater at Metreon on San Francisco, is available at www.enjoytheshow.com) (Note, most the Loews locations have Rear Window systems only, not DVS Theatrical systems)

Malco Theatres
5851 Ridgeway Center Parkway
Memphis, TN 39120
901 761-3480
(Malco does not currently list accessible film information on their site, www.malco.com)

Megaplex Theatres (Megaplex does not currently list accessible film information at their site, www.megaplextheatres.com)
guestservices@megaplextheatres.com

National Amusements Theatres
200 Elm Street
Dedham, MA 02027
781 461-1600
(also known as Showcase Cinemas) (accessible film information for all National Amusements MoPix locations is available at the theater page level of www.nationalamusements.com)

Thank you,
Mary Watkins
Media Access Group at WGBH

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