Public access television in the
United States is a form of
Citizen media, similar to Canada's
Community channel, Australia's
Community television and other models of media created by private citizens.Due to the
1984 Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act, US cable companies are required to fund local organizations to provide training and access to media technology and cable distribution on the local cable systems. This legislation was intended to enrich communities with the opportunity to produce community-initiated programming and address local issues and concerns on the electronic medium. In its conception, Public access television pertained only to the cable television technology of the times, but many Public access organizations now include
television,
radio and the
internet within the spectrum of communications. Public access television is one type of PEG access, short for Public, Educational, and Governmental, the three traditional structures of access within a municipality.
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