“TRL” Gets The “Live” Sucked Out Of It

During the mass bloodletting at MTV last month, Christina Norman sent out a memo stressing that afternoon countdown show TRL would continue to air, although it would “operate more efficiently downstairs.” What did that mean, we wondered? Well, now we know:

Two weeks ago, MTV began taping ”Total Request Live” two days a week in an effort to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day.

”Total Request Taped”? No, the show’s title won’t be adjusted for the less-than-live days, spokeswoman Marnie Black said Tuesday.

”We’re not editing anything,” she said. ”We’re not changing anything. The spirit of the show is going to be exactly the same.”

Color us skeptical–it’s hard to think that Mariah Carey’s ice cream giveaway, to name but one example, would have survived the tape-delay process. Anyway, now that the show isn’t really live anymore, it’s time for some KFC-style rebranding for the three letters that make up the show’s name:

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MTV’s `TRL’ No Longer Totally Live [AP via NYT] Earlier: MTV’s Post-Layoff Shakeout: Screaming Teenagers Will Continue To Clog Up Times Square Foot Traffic [Photo: Getty Images]