AMC Theatres continues seeking ways to diversify its theatrical business after at least a year of COVID-19 theater closures. Days after announcing it was entering the multibillion-dollar popcorn industry, AMC said Monday it will host “surprise screenings” of “fan favorite” movies from Disney+ Friday-Sunday at more than 200 locations in 34 states to celebrate the second anniversary of the streaming service’s November 2019 debut. Each title will play once a day for $5 a ticket, including promotional perks, it said.
“Allowing tens of thousands of federal employees to telework during the pandemic is saving lives and allowing the government to maintain operations and service to the American people,” said National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon in a statement responding to a recent letter from 42 GOP senators (see 2111040062). NTEU represents FCC employees. The letter said federal agencies should return to in-person work. “NTEU supports the continuation of maximum telework while the pandemic is ongoing,” Reardon said. “Like all workers, federal employees deserve to feel safe at work, including their commutes on public transit.” Agencies can use telework to downsize and save taxpayer money, said Reardon, responding to concerns in the letter about taxpayers paying for the leases of largely vacant federal workplaces.
The theatrical movie industry and Cinemark “continue to make significant progress in recovering from the effects of the pandemic,” said CEO Mark Zoradi on a Q3 call Friday. “We are highly encouraged by the continuing positive trends with increasing consumer demand for the cinematic theatrical experience and growing momentum at the box office.” Global attendance in the quarter grew 61% sequentially from Q2, he said. The COVID-19 delta variant “threw us a curveball during the third quarter and caused a meaningful dip in consumer comfort regarding visiting theaters,” he said. “That sentiment has since recovered to 77% of U.S. moviegoers expressing comfort in going to the theater in the current environment.”
Federal workers need to transition back to in-person operations, 42 Republican senators wrote the Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration and OMB Thursday. “Americans continue to face unprecedented delays in accessing their federal government,” said the letter from Homeland Security Committee ranking member Rob Portman, Ohio; Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and others. “This is unacceptable.” If agencies are pivoting to increase off-site workers, there are costs to consider, the letter said. “Field and operational office spaces have maintained their leases during the period that a regular in-person presence has lapsed and employees continue teleworking,” lawmakers said. “This office space footprint is a drain on taxpayers who are ultimately paying the price for empty offices.” The FCC told employees this week they can work in-person starting Dec. 1 (see 2111020067). The agency shifted to new headquarters while on mandatory telework, leaving the new building at 45 L St. NE largely unused (see 2010090052). The National Treasury Employees Union seeks a more-flexible telework policy in negotiations with the FCC (see 2107130038). The senators asked OPM, GSA and OMB to provide information about federal agency return to work plans, shifts to remote work and telework productivity. NTEU didn't comment.
CTA’s return to New York Nov. 11 to honor inductees into the 2021 Consumer Tech Hall of Fame will require COVID-19 vaccine proof, said confirmations emailed Thursday. Vaccine verification will be required through photo ID and one of four methods: CTA’s partnership with the Clear Health Pass, the NYC COVID Safe App, New York’s Excelsior Pass or a physical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination card, CTA said. “Proof of a negative COVID-19 test is not permitted for admittance to this event,” it said. The trade group is following state and local guidelines and CDC recommendations and asks that attendees “wear a mask during the event when not eating or drinking.” The Clear Health Pass we downloaded using the CTA code tied to the Hall of Fame dinner expires Dec. 4. It wasn’t clear if the pass could be updated to be used as proof of vaccine at CES in Las Vegas Jan. 5-8. CES didn't respond to questions. 2021 honorees at the event are Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics; Nancy Klosek, Dealerscope; Bill and Barbara Pearse, Ultimate Electronics; and Roberta Williams, Sierra Online. The event wasn’t held in 2020 due to the pandemic and those inductees will also be honored Thursday: Vint Cerf, developed TCP/IP; Frank Conrad, Westinghouse; Peter Fannon, Panasonic; Kazuo Hirai, Sony; and Robert Kahn, Developed. This year’s event will also recognize the 2021 and 2020 Innovation Entrepreneur Award (IEA) honorees celebrating a leading executive, business and an exceptional startup in the consumer technology industry: James Mault, Nuheara and Roybi for 2021; Vicki Mayo, re:3D and Nuro for 2020, CTA said.
Halloween weekend's international box office was led by No Time to Die, earning $51.9 million, but it opened in China to only $28.2 million, likely due to a COVID-19 spike with 13% of the screens there closed, Colliers analyst Steven Frankel wrote investors Monday. The film’s total global box office to date is $605.8 million. Imax generated 15% -- $4.4 million -- of the James Bond movie’s China opening, bringing the film's Imax total to $39.4 million globally. Imax generated $4.35 million, 28%, of the Dune box office over the weekend. Dune led the domestic box office with just $15.5 million, facing the headwinds of Halloween and its “broad availability on HBO Max,” said the analyst.
More than five in six businesses that closed temporarily after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have since reopened, reported Yelp Wednesday. Yelp also counted nearly 439,100 new business openings in the first nine months of 2021, about 1.4% above pre-pandemic levels for the same period of 2019. “The strong number of reopened businesses combined with the high volume of new business openings is evidence that the economy continues to recover from pandemic lows,” said Justin Norman, Yelp vice president-data science.
COVID-19 vaccination status tracking was added to the Paychex Flex document management tool, said the payroll services company Tuesday. Employers who opt to track employees’ vaccination status can ask workers to upload digital copies of their vaccination cards to Paychex Flex, and unvaccinated employees can upload their ongoing COVID-19 test results, it said. Administrators can access a single view of which employees have uploaded either their vaccination card or COVID-19 test results, it said. Access to the information uploaded will be restricted to authorized users, it said.
The Radio Show will be integrated into the larger NAB Show in Las Vegas, NAB announced Thursday. This begins with the next NAB Show in April. “This change provides more opportunities in one location for radio professionals and elevates radio in the larger media ecosystem represented at NAB Show,” said NAB. “The integrated event in Las Vegas will feature signature awards, networking events and a comprehensive conference program, including popular sales and marketing sessions presented by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).” Previously, the Radio Show was a separate event, held in different cities each year. The 2021 Radio Show was planned to be in Las Vegas concurrent with the 2021 NAB Show before both were canceled last month (see 2109150062). Radio broadcaster and former NAB Radio Board member Ed Henson said he’ll miss the separate show, but he believes NAB will be sensitive about ensuring radio is highlighted at the larger event. Alpha Media CEO Bob Proffitt, also a former NAB board member, said the combination is a “wise move” that will increase attendance and take advantage of technology convergence: “The bigger the better.” The "decision was primarily based on giving radio broadcasters the very best value and experience,” said an NAB spokesperson. “We know budgets are tight when it comes to business travel, and integrating Radio Show into NAB Show provides more opportunities in one place.” NAB didn’t comment on whether the change was motivated by financial concerns at the trade group after the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 conventions. Broadcasters told us the Radio Show wasn’t considered a high-cost event. The in-person show, last held in 2019, generally saw 1,500-2,000 attendees, NAB said (see 1909200034). In announcing the change, the group also said NAB CEO Gordon Smith will give his final “State of the Industry” speech online Nov. 10.
Verizon's U.S. non-union employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8. For contractors, vendors, visitors and new hires, it's Jan. 1; for retail teams, Feb. 1. “The only employees excluded from these requirements are those designated as ‘home-based’ within the Verizon Consumer Group,” the carrier said Thursday. “This does not apply to our union-represented employees as we are in discussion with the unions.”