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AMC CEO Changes Position, Says 'No Texting Allowed' in Movie Theaters

Adam Aron changed his position, adding "we'll focus on other ideas."

ByABC News
April 15, 2016, 10:31 AM

— -- Two days after reports said that movie theater chain AMC would test text-friendly theaters, the company's CEO changed his mind.

In a letter addressed "to our AMC Guests" and obtained by ABC News, AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron said, "We have heard loud and clear that this is a concept our audience does not want."

"With your advice in hand, there will be NO TEXTING ALLOWED in any of the auditoriums at AMC Theatres. Not today, not tomorrow and not in the foreseeable future," he said.

Aron explained that AMC will now "focus on our other ideas to delight and entertain you."

The company plans to invest more than $1 billion to upgrade the visual and sound technology in its theaters along with offering "much more comfortable seating" and "new sumptuous food and beverage offerings," according to Aron.

The news comes after Aron told Variety that the company planned to test text-friendly sections in its theaters.

"When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow," he said. "You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life."