ated ▁intern ation ally . ▁Due ▁to ▁a ▁recent ▁sur ge ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁and ▁popular ity ▁of ▁crit ically ▁acc laimed ▁television ▁series ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 s ▁to ▁date , ▁many ▁critics ▁have ▁said ▁that ▁American ▁television ▁is ▁currently ▁under going ▁a ▁modern ▁golden ▁age . ▁ ▁Television ▁channels ▁and ▁networks ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁television ▁is ▁available ▁via ▁broadcast ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁" over - the - air " ▁or ▁O TA ) ▁– ▁the ▁earliest ▁method ▁of ▁receiving ▁television ▁programming , ▁which ▁merely ▁requires ▁an ▁anten na ▁and ▁an ▁equ ipped ▁internal ▁or ▁external ▁tun er ▁capable ▁of ▁pick ing ▁up ▁channels ▁that ▁transmit ▁on ▁the ▁two ▁principal ▁broadcast ▁bands , ▁very ▁high ▁frequency ▁( V H F ) ▁and ▁ult ra ▁high ▁frequency ▁( U H F ), ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁signal ▁– ▁and ▁four ▁conventional ▁types ▁of ▁mult ich annel ▁subscription ▁television : ▁cable , ▁un enc rypted ▁satellite ▁(" free - to - air "), ▁direct - bro ad cast ▁satellite ▁television ▁and ▁IP TV ▁( intern et ▁protocol ▁television ). ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁compet ing ▁video ▁services ▁on ▁the ▁World ▁W ide ▁Web , ▁which ▁have ▁become ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁popular ▁mode ▁of ▁television ▁view ing ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁particularly ▁with ▁younger ▁aud ien ces ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁or ▁a ▁supp lement ▁to ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁traditional ▁forms ▁of ▁view