This Week in TV News: New Standards from the MRC and Heinz Creative

This week we’re talking about a design solution to ketchup bottle woes, the fall TV shows you will probably hear about and maybe watch, and new cross-screen measurement standards from the MRC.

The MRC’s cross-screen measurement standards. The Media Rating Council issued a final version of its provisions for measuring video advertising and content delivered through television, OTT and digital, both desktop and mobile. The standards “mark a consensus” across 175 companies have support from the ANA, 4A’s and IAB, per reporting from Adweek. MRC CEO George W. Ivie said the idea was to “make these measurements fair and on an apples-to-apples basis across all these video platforms” and that by “reining things in,” media buyers will get a better idea of campaign reach. (Adweek)

Tfw the ketchup won’t come out. Heinz Canada released new creative focused on that classic challenge of getting ketchup out of the bottle. A new “Pour Perfect” bottle shows an askew label when the glass ketchup bottle is set down. The label appears upright only when you pick the bottle up and hold it at the right angle for pouring. The project is from Rethink Canada. (Ad Age)

What will be big in fall TV. Vulture goes through upcoming TV shows, including offerings from Apple and Disney+, and gives its take on which shows will be biggest. Among them: a new Jen Aniston-led morning show series; a Netflix fantasy based on a video game called “The Witcher,” billed as the next “Game of Thrones”; and a Star Wars series from Disney+ called “The Mandalorian.” (Vulture) 

Why a TV critic cut the cord. Tim Goodman talks about his journey from cable to OTT services. He starts by identifying what he wants (“I definitely wanted live sports and the local network affiliates that carry them,” he says) and what he needed for sports viewing (he doesn’t care about ESPN, but needs the NBC Sports Network for Giants, A’s and Sharks games). Read his account on The Hollywood Reporter.

Read last week’s TV news.