Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 15, 1990 TAG: 9004120383
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
The poll showed that 90 percent of film patrons surveyed recently in 10 metropolitan areas oppose showing non-movie commercials, Disney said Tuesday to back up its ban on showing them in movie houses with Disney films.
"A commercial is a commercial and one of the reasons we go to the movies is to get away from them," Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of the Disney Studios, said at a news conference. "They've been booing [commercials] and the reaction has been getting worse and worse."
But the poll found that filmgoers embraced watching coming attractions; 95 percent are in favor of commercials for upcoming movies.
The survey, conducted by the National Research Group, canvassed 18,772 moviegoers March 31 in New York, Boston, Indianapolis, Chicago, Austin, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Seattle, San Francisco and in Orange County, Calif.
Disney announced in February that it would prohibit on-screen advertising in any theater showing films made by Disney or its affiliated studios, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures.
The ban excludes slides shown during intermission and public service announcements approved by Disney.
The company's decision was met with criticism from some theater owners who count on advertising to boost revenues. A number of advertisers and advertising buyers were displeased, too.
"When we first announced our policy, we naively thought that we were dealing with an issue in which the facts were self-evident," Katzenberg said. "But even though we received hundreds of letters and phone calls supporting our claim, there were still skeptics who said we had no empirical data."
by CNB