End of an Era: 'TRL' Shifts Online

Nov. 17, 2008— -- Did you grow up in the early '90s? Then you were part of the generation that made MTV's "Total Request Live" into an hour-and-a-half pop culture buffet. The Nov. 16 airing of "Total Finale Live" marks the end of a 10-year run that contributed to the identity of a generation.

"I think it's the end of an era, like maybe the same way American Bandstand was for the baby boomer generation," said one former "TRL" viewer who stopped by MTV Studios last week to participate in one more taping of the show. "I can't get my mainstream videos. I don't know what [MTV is] going to do now."

The volume of MTV's music video programming has faded over the years. TRL host Damien Fahey credits that to viewers' changing preferences.

"You really have to respect the times, and the times have changed, and if we air music videos no one really watches," Fahey said.

The "TRL" countdown can still be found on MTV.com, where visiters can watch whole videos and post comments. There's no host or bevy of shrieking 15-year-olds, but Fahey says even though "TRL" gives that live experience, the rise of interactive sites such as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook has had a huge impact on viewership.

"The good thing about music right now is there is so much of music even on MySpace -- 6,000 bands so there's outlets, this isn't the only outlet," Fahey said. "It's shifted to more of the Internet."

Bobby Bones, host of "The Bobby Bones Show" in Austin, Texas, on 96.7 KISS-FM, agrees that the Internet has changed the game.

"Nobody watches TV by appointment anymore. I download all my shows off iTunes," Bones said, "and the younger these kids get they realize they don't have to" watch shows at a certain time. Back when we were kids, we had to watch at 7 o' clock."

Bones, whose target audience includes 12- to 18-year-olds, first started using the Internet to promote his show five years ago. He said Internet content has been a key component in making "The Bobby Bones Show" one of the top five morning radio programs in the country. Bones provides listeners with a podcast of the show on iTunes and video on YouTube that are meant to promote but not replace his radio show.