Following the National Association of Theatre Owners’ renewed call that Congress pass relief for cinemas of all sizes across the United States, the organization has issued a following statement regarding Senators Schumer, Cardin, and Shaheen’s activities in support of theaters by including them in the “Save Our Stages” initiative.
Through their #SaveYourCinema campaign, NATO urges moviegoers to contact their Congressmen and urge them to come to the defense of theaters, which are “the beating hearts of the communities they serve,” says NATO Director of Government Relations Esther Baruh. “They drive local economies and boost neighborhood businesses. But without more help from Congress, we fear for the future of the industry.”
Writes NATO in their 10/20 statement:
The movie theater operators of America are desperate for help from Congress. Without such help, 70 percent of the theaters in the country could file for bankruptcy or close permanently by the end of the year. More than 70,000 jobs could be lost permanently. While many small business theater operators were able to access Paycheck Protection Program loans, given the duration of the pandemic those funds have been exhausted and theater revenues are still close to nothing. The current rules of the program remain challenging for theaters that are shuttered or doing little business.
We are grateful that Senators Schumer, Cardin, and Shaheen have included relief for movie theaters as part of the Save Our Stages initiative and that SOS is included in their Covid relief bill. We seek a bipartisan solution for pandemic relief now that would include these provisions to preserve moviegoing in America.
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