Mass media in Venezuela comprise the mass and niche news and information communications infrastructure of Venezuela. Thus, the media of Venezuela consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, and Internet-based news outlets and websites. Venezuela also has a strong music industry and arts scene. Since 2003, Freedom House has ranked Venezuela as "not free" when it comes to press freedom. Freedom House explained that Venezuela's freedom of the press had declined during Hugo Chávez's 15 years in power, stating that the Venezuelan government's relation to the media caused a sharp decline in press freedom and expanded government information apparatus. Due to censorship in Venezuela, social networking and other methods are important ways of communication for the Venezuelan people, with social media being established as an alternative means of information to mainstream media. Venezuela now has the 4th highest percentage of Twitter users. Overview The main four private television networks are RCTV (1951-2007), Televen, Venevisión, and 24-hour news channel Globovisión. State television includes Venezolana de Televisión, TVes, ViVe, and teleSUR. There are also local community-run television stations such as Televisora Comunitaria del Oeste de Caracas (CatiaTVe). The Venezuelan government also runs Avila TV, Buena TV, Asamblea Nacional TV (ANTV), Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias and funds the majority of Latin American network TeleSUR. The major Venezuelan newspapers are El Nacional, Últimas Noticias, and El Universal; all of which are private companies and based in Caracas. There are also many regional newspapers. History Democratic period Venezuela was the ninth country in the world to have television, introduced in 1952 by Marcos Pérez Jiménez. By 1963 a quarter of Venezuelan households had television; a figure rising to 45% by 1969 and 85% by 1982. By 1970s, Venezuela surpassed Argentina as the most urbanized of South America nations. The benefits that urbanization has brought in terms of ease of communication were offset by social problems. Bolivarian Revolution The Venezuelan media initially supported Hugo Chávez after his election in 1998, supporting the changes he proposed for Venezuela. However, when the media began to report "negative realities" occurring in Venezuela, the Chávez government began to view the independent media as an enemy. After Chávez established his position of power in Venezuela by removing political barriers, the independent media began to criticize Chávez in a similar manner to the way other Latin American countries would have their media criticize their own governments.