G ) ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁a ▁government ▁mand ated ▁model ▁that ▁provides ▁citizens ▁within ▁a ▁cable ▁franch ised ▁municipality ▁to ▁get ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁Public - access ▁television ▁channels ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁dist ribute ▁their ▁own ▁programming . ▁ ▁Public - access ▁television ▁programming ▁is ▁community ▁initi ated ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁platform ▁to ▁meet ▁local ▁needs . ▁Community ▁channels ▁in ▁Canada ▁also ▁provides ▁access ▁for ▁citizens ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁their ▁own ▁programming ▁content , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁community ▁television ▁in ▁Australia . ▁Community ▁technology ▁cent ers ▁are ▁private ▁non - pro fit ▁organizations ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁that ▁serve ▁to ▁increase ▁access ▁and ▁training ▁in ▁technology ▁for ▁social ▁applications . ▁Television ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁relevant ▁or ▁widely ▁used ▁in ▁American ▁culture ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁or ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁dec ades . ▁A ▁study ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁found ▁that ▁Americans ▁spend ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁seven ▁years ▁watching ▁television . ▁However , ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁media , ▁such ▁as ▁online ▁streaming ▁services ▁like ▁Net fli x , ▁H ulu , ▁and ▁Amazon ▁Prime , ▁have ▁both ▁supp lement ed ▁and ▁replaced ▁television ▁as ▁a ▁common ▁form ▁of ▁visual ▁media ▁for ▁entertain ment ▁and ▁news . ▁ ▁Internet ▁▁ ▁Aff ord able ▁consumer ▁technology ▁and ▁bro ader ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁internet ▁has ▁created ▁new ▁electronic ▁distribution ▁methods . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁corpor ate ▁media ▁market ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁mon opol y ▁on ▁media ▁distribution , ▁the ▁internet