Cinedigm Announces Agreement With R/C Theatres for
Phase 2 Deployment Program
December 22, 2009
Source: Cinedigm
Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. announced
R/C Theatres, a Maryland-based cinema chain, has signed an
agreement to participate in Cinedigm's Phase 2 digital cinema
deployment program.
R/C Theatres is the first of many National Association of
Theatre Owners (NATO) Cinema Buying Group (CBG) members expected
to commit to this program. The CBG represents more than 600
members that collectively have over 6,000 screens. R/C selected
Cinedigm's Exhibitor-Buyer financing plan, which means the
exhibitor will purchase its own equipment and Cinedigm will
administer the systems under its Virtual Print Fee agreements
with all major studios for a ten-year term for 68 screens
at 6 locations.
In Phase 2, Cinedigm has created an Exhibitor-Buyer financing
option for exhibitors. When exhibitors participate, they select
and purchase their own equipment and Cinedigm manages the
reporting, billing and collection of VPFs from movie distributors,
receiving a fee for doing so. R/C will install Cinedigm-certified
fully-networked digital cinema systems. Cinedigm and the CBG
also have system supply and service agreements with Barco
and NEC.
John Fithian, President of the National Association of Theatre
Owners (NATO), commented, "Wayne Anderson, the former
Managing Director of the CBG, and the CBG team who selected
Cinedigm as its integrator had confidence in Cinedigm's technology,
equipment vendor relationships and ability to bring appropriate
financing options to the table. Wayne's tireless work with
Cinedigm on behalf of all the CBG members makes it fitting
that R/C Theatres is the first of many CBG members to move
forward."
"The CBG was established to enable independent exhibitors
across the U.S. and Canada to survive and thrive in the digital
age," said J. Wayne Anderson, former Managing Director
of the buying group. "R/C Theatres and the CBG, in partnership
with Cinedigm, today begin an historic transition to provide
high-quality digital cinema to the patrons of independent
and small-town cinemas in North America."
Bill Campbell, current Managing Director of the CBG, said,
"CBG, Cinedigm and our equipment partners have developed
several options for our members, including exhibitor-financed,
vendor-financed and integrator-financed programs. Beginning
with Wayne's leadership and continuing today, the CBG and
Cinedigm encourage all CBG members to be proactive in securing
their place in the digital future of our industry."
David Phillips, COO-CFO of R/C Theatres, " We are excited
to be the first circuit to sign up for the CBG Cinedigm Phase
2 digital cinema self-finance agreement. R/C has had the good
fortune to be involved in so many aspects of the industry
conversion due to the hard work, dedication and insight of
its now retired Chairman and CEO, Wayne Anderson. To finally
be at the end point of all that hard work is like coming to
the end of filming and editing a movie. All the work has been
done and now it's time to screen the final product -- digitally
of course!"
"Since the CBG selected us as the integrator partner
for its members, the Cinedigm team has been working diligently
to develop agreements that worked for all parties," said
Bud Mayo, Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. "This process
for Exhibitor-Buyers was completed at the end of October and
we're very excited that R/C Theatres will be the first to
move forward in converting its theatres to digital cinema."
"R/C's decision to invest in digital cinema is a testament
to their commitment of bringing the highest quality presentation
and the diversity of alternative content programming to their
audiences. Cinedigm is proud to be working with R/C to help
them continue to fulfill that commitment," said Chuck
Goldwater, President of Cinedigm's Media Services Group. "At
the same time, we are at work with many more CBG members and
look forward to adding them to our Phase 2 program as well."
Cinedigm's Digital Cinema division is the industry-leading
deployment program for Digital Cinema that facilitates the
funding, installation support and administration for the company's
studio-supported Digital Cinema rollout plans. In April 2008,
the CBG, a buying program of the National Association of Theatre
Owners (NATO) for small and independent theatre operators,
announced the selection of Cinedigm as the digital cinema
integrator of choice for the CBG's 600+ members in the United
States and Canada.
To date, Cinedigm has contracted for and completed the rollout
of nearly 4,000 systems in forty-one states with exhibitors
including Atlas Theatres, Allen Theatres, Carmike Cinemas,
Celebration! Cinema, Cinema West, Cinetopia, Dickinson Theatres,
Emagine, Galaxy Cinema, Georgia Theatre Company, Great Escape
Theatres, Marquee Cinemas, Krikorian Premiere Theatres, MJR
Theatres, Neighborhood Cinema Group, Premiere Cinema Corp.,
Rave Motion Picture Theatres, Showplace Cinemas, UltraStar,
and Cinedigm's own Pavilion Digital Showcase Theatre.
Its Phase 2 plan for up to an additional 10,000 screens will
provide networked, turnkey Digital Cinema systems in conformance
with DCI specifications.
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