For years, City Weekly was behind the curve in not running local movie theater showtimes. Now that we're not running them again, it turns out we're ahead of the curve. ---

According to an article in Editor and Publisher magazine -- the trade journal for those now scrambling to keep print publications alive -- the Regal and AMC theater chains recently have opted not to pay to run daily showtimes in daily newspapers, the traditional repository for such information. It seems to exhibitors that their audience largely doesn't read newspapers any more, instead using the theaters' own Websites or ticketing hubs like Fandango.com or Moviefone to find that information.

Do moviegoers still use print ads to plan their trips to the theater? A couple of years ago, City Weekly finally started running local showtimes, despite the logistical nightmares of trying to get the relevant information by our early-week deadlines. Then we re-designed the cinema section and gave the printed showtimes the boot in favor of a theater directory. No one cheered when the showtimes were added; exactly one person complained when they were dropped. You tell us if it was the right call.