MTV's revamped 'TRL' failing to impress

A new-look Total Request Live has thusfar failed to impress viewers.

MTV's flagship show, which airs each weekday in the 6pm slot, returned on Monday with a makeover and new co-presenters. The most notable change was the disappearance of the TRL top ten chart, up until now an anchor of the programme's format.

Its return has proven a turnoff for audiences, however, with an average of just 10,000 viewers tuning in this week. Ratings peaked at a damp 31,000 during Monday's show.

The final TRL before its Christmas break, broadcast on December 17, averaged 39,000 viewers.

The lower figures could be explained in part by inadequate promotion of the show's return, but they appear to be part of a much larger ratings problem for the network. Thursday's live MTV Asia Aid concert, broadcast between 5pm and 7pm, could only muster 12,000 viewers, despite featuring performances from high-profile stars such as Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson and Alicia Keys.

Rumours on the Digital Spy Forums have suggested that MTV is attempting to address the problem by planning a simulcast of TRL on TMF, opening it up to a much larger audience via Freeview.