Is MTVs TRL On the Way Out?
Is MTV’s TRL On the Way Out? Thursday February 15, 2007 MTV’s video countdown show TRL debuted back in 1997 as MTV Live. Within its first few years the show became Total Request then Total Request Live, and finally just TRL. With first host Carson Daly, the show, with its format of viewers voting for the top videos, became a mighty force in the world of pop music video. Unfortunately, that influence has been waning in recent months. Now co-hosted by Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Susie Castillo and La La Vasquez, the show has lost nearly 30% of its audience among 12-17 year olds. YouTube and MySpace are seen as primary competitors in the battle for this core pop music audience. In recent days MTV has announced waves of corporate layoffs, but, contrary to rumors, the network has announced that TRL will continue. It is unclear, however, if the format will change. My personal hunch for some of the woes that TRL has experienced include the recent shifts to requiring viewers to register at
