It is no secret that the public are a fickle group, a fact that explains why entertaining the masses is not such a simple thing to achieve. For every hit comedy on tv, there are a dozen others that failed to win approval. However, not every viewer is in a position to develop a preference, with the hearing impaired, for example, limited greatly in their television experiences. This is why closed caption software was developed, software that now allows people with hearing conditions to share in the comedy, or drama or musical broadcasts.

Of course, there are others, with the sight impaired now benefiting from audio description tv shows, the number of which has risen in recent years. Even for advertisers, the growing indifference shown towards the traditional ad break is being addressed through new technologies that reach out directly to the viewer. Through advanced advertising, an interactive and direct advertising method, the indifferent have been empowered to control what ads they watch.

Captions are easily recognisable to everyone who has ever watched a foreign film, with the dialogue and brief descriptions appearing at the bottom of the screen in each scene. However, on regular television broadcasts it is also possible to read dialogue and descriptions in precisely the same way. In this case, the captioning service is closed as it is not available as standard with the programme but is, instead, an additional service which can be called upon when necessary.

Generally, it is the deaf or hard of hearing that avail of this service, though it is also made use of in public areas where hearing would be difficult because of the noisiness of the venue. For example, most airports offer public tv viewing to passengers who are waiting on flights. The programmes on screen will have captions so that viewers can understand even though they cannot actually hear the dialogue clearly.

For those who are blind or who suffer from visual impairment, audio description can aid in their viewing experience. The service, which is referred to as video description in some countries, refers to the aural description of the scene in a programme, while the dialogue is left untouched. So, for example, in a scene in a comedy show where a character sits on a couch and opens a magazine, a layer of audio is inserted which states the precise action in between the segments of dialogue. In this way an accurate picture can be painted for those who cannot see the screen for themselves.

While both captioning and audio description software are designed to include a demographic that was previously largely excluded from the television experience, a third ground breaking method of communication with the viewer provides advertising opportunities for companies to reach the public they want.

Currently, television advertisement runs on the basis of recorded ads that are included in an advertisement segment, along with five or six other ads from other companies. However, a more advanced method of advertising now allows the advertiser to interact with their potential customers through an ad on the television screen.

It is especially suited for promoting products that are directly connected with a programme, with perhaps a documentary on the coffee industry prompting ads for coffee brands. These ads can then be accessed if the viewer decides he or she is interested. Also, subscriptions to a magazine linked to a fashion programme, or even subscriptions to the channel broadcasting the show, can be offered during broadcasting.

What this means is that the traditional ad break, where viewers were fed an array of ads, is becoming redundant. Now, the viewers are free to choose the ads that they wish to look more closely at. However, it also means that the advertiser gets to provide more information by communicating more directly with viewers that are interested in what they have to offer. This, in turn, promises a higher rate of success for the advertiser.

The advent of software especially designed to address the needs of the excluded tv audiences has changed the industry dramatically. The hearing impaired are included due to closed caption software, while those with poor sight are finding themselves entertained more effectively thanks to audio description tv software.

The effectiveness of advanced advertising, meanwhile, is resulting in more viewers taking an interest in what advertisers have to say, through open interaction rather than the more traditional bombardment of information.