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From: cowan@marob.masa.com (John Cowan)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Use of Phones to Give Theatre Schedule Information
Message-ID: <14152@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 29 Oct 90 17:43:50 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 775, Message 10 of 11

In article <14074@accuvax.nwu.edu>, BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com 
(Barton F. Bruce) writes:

>I even think a SMART local theater might also list the competing 
>EXPENSIVE adjacent big town theaters as a service and customers 
>would always call them for ALL movie info and would probably go 
>to the local one mostly anyway.

There exists something analogous to this in New York City now.
Calling 212-777-3456 (777-FILM) gets an automated system that lists a
large fraction of all theaters in the city and outlying regions.
(Non-commercial theaters are not listed.)

You can retrieve movies by title (first three letters), category
(drama/comedy/horror/action/etc.), or location (enter ZIP code).  Once
you have narrowed down to a particular movie at a particular theater,
you will be given the show times for that movie today.  Show times
that have already passed are automatically omitted.

This service is extremely helpful.  It is sponsored by {New York
Magazine} (which publishes weekly movie listings and capsule reviews)
and radio station WPLJ.  There is no charge except normal telco
charges, but you must listen to a commercial for an upcoming film when
you cfirst connect.  There is also an option to find out about
upcoming features in the magazine or WPLJ.  Of course, you must be
able to send DTMF tones to use the service at all.


cowan@marob.masa.com			(aka ...!hombre!marob!cowan)