At the local telephone office, a DSL access multiplexer, or DSLAM, statistically multiplexes the data packets transmitted over the ADSL system in order to provide a more efficient link to the Internet.
Presumably working on the assumption that, if Cowell touches it, any old shit will turn to gold, the industry has a right to be baffled as to why a film about a talking dog has failed to set the multiplexes alight.
The new local digital multiplexes will allow for up to 74 existing local FM and AM analogue services, all BBC local and regional stations and other services to move to DAB.
The film is playing an even balance of arthouses and multiplexes, with the former scoring particularly well on Friday.
Actor Robert Carlyle has called on cinema chains to "give a leg up" to the British film industry by reserving at least one screen in multiplexes to show UK productions.
Thus the ground was laid for a big crossover hit like The Full Monty, which made its money in multiplexes and fleapits rather than snooty art-houses.
The Harry Potter star is attached to headline the comedy – his first to hit multiplexes – for director Peter Sollett, who made Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
In an era of DVDs, Netflix, digital home projectors and underpopulated multiplexes everywhere, travelling thousands of miles (or even a couple hundred feet, in my case: the screening is just across the street from my office) to see a film with a crowd of strangers seems antiquated.One answer is that the crowds themselves are important.
If the current auctioneer gives BDB the three multiplexes, then Oftel may end up backing the cable companies against the combined might of BSkyB and BT.
But that reflects a weakness: its owners have little experience of developing programming and they have shallower pockets.The regulators cannot hedge their bets by giving two multiplexes to BDB and one to DTN: BDB cunningly bid for one or three multiplexes, but not two.
Not only are the multiplexes drawing audiences away from smaller studio-owned Japanese cinemas; they are also breaking the "track-booking" system in which cinemas of all sorts showed only films released by studios with which they had an contractual arrangement.One of Japan's four great studios, Nikkatsu, has flickered out.
