clearance
n.— «The 68-year-old theater has seen increased competition from suburban multiplexes over the years and Kiefaber has long decried a movie industry practice known as “clearance,” which he says has threatened his theater’s ability to get the movies he wants. Movie theater owners often use their influence with a distributor to prevent nearby theaters from playing the same film, a tactic otherwise known as clearance.» —“Senator ‘love fest’ brings theater closer to financial rescue” by Julekha Dash Baltimore Business Journal (Maryland) Feb. 19, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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