New York Times - Hollywood windowing debate

According to Sharon Waxman's piece, "Movie Slump Stirs tensions in Hollywood" in the New York Times:

The decline at the box office has been the subject of debate all summer. Attendance has been down even more than revenue, a dip of 12 percent from last summer, according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box- office data.

John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, accused chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger, of leveling a "death threat" against his industry. He was responding to a statement by Mr. Iger to Wall Street analysts this month that movie studios need to accommodate changing consumer demand by releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on DVD.

Why?

It would substantially weaken the marketing potential of the theatrical release for the ancillary markets," [Fithian] added, "and it would devalue Hollywood movies.

Fithian attributed box-office drop to poor product, not a growing consumer preference for at home viewing.