''Total Request'' was a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

request show on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

Background

The show debuted in April 1998 as part of a renewed effort by MTV to increase the amount of music programming aired on the network. The show originally debuted as a 30-minute program aired as part of a weeknight programming block that also included ''Artist's Cut'', ''

Say What? ''Say What?'' is a music video series that aired on American MTV in 1998. It was created at a time when MTV was being heavily criticized for not playing as many music videos as it had in the past. In an attempt to remedy this problem, five shows ...

'', and ''Rockumentary Remix''. Carson Daly served as the host. By May, the show had been expanded to an hour, replacing ''Rockumentary Remix''. Each episode consisted of counting down the day's top music video requests received by MTV via phone, email, and a camera set up in Times Square. While the show was based at MTV's studio in Times Square, it was also filmed in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as part of MTV's ''Summer Share'' from May through August 1998. The show last aired in September 1998 and was then merged with '' MTV Live'' to form '' Total Request Live''.

References

1990s American music television series 1998 American television series debuts 1998 American television series endings MTV original programming American music chart television shows {{US-music-tv-prog-stub