The newspaper industry was dealt another blow at the Regal Entertainment Group investor day, Reuters reported Wednesday. The top U.S. movie chain revealed that its advertising spending for co-op and movie directories has shrunk by 75 percent since 1999, from an average of US$13,000 per screen to an average of $3,000.

Dick Westerling, Regal's senior vice president of marketing and advertising, told analysts in attendance: "We have conducted a number of surveys and analysis...clearly, customers are getting their movie and showtime information online, and newspaper has become a second or third choice."

Westerling also said he believes the trend is unlikely to change, focusing on the Regal Crown Club, the company's online tool that tracks 14 million moviegoers.

He stressed the price benefits of the online offerings: "We can reach members on e-mail cheaper than through newspaper advertising," Reuters reported