Split Decision

''I was really proud of the way it came out,'' director Marcus Nispel says of the new Clivilles and Cole video that MTV won't let you see. ''I feel absolutely insulted that they prefer to show another dinky comedy special rather than that.'' German-born Nispel, whose previous groundbreaking videos with C+C Music Factory played a major part in the group's success, is referring to his full 15-minute version of ''Pride (In the Name of Love),'' which includes not only an image-crammed visual interpretation of the U2 remake but — surprise — opens with another song entirely, ''A Deeper Love.'' MTV has severed the opener. Says Nispel, ''They just mercilessly hacked it in half, because they figured the U2 song would sell first.''

MTV has shown both videos — ''A Deeper Love'' popped up during the channel's dance-oriented Street Party segment — but the 15-minute version has yet to air in its entirety. ''Since there are two separate songs, we're playing them separately,'' reasons an MTV spokesperson. '''A Deeper Love' is a very R&B-rooted song,'' says Nispel, ''and the U2 song is something for the white boys to enjoy. Connecting them in one piece was to further the fact that audiences also get something new fed to them for a change — and to mix it up a little bit. Which is what music, or at least MTV, should be all about.'' Either that...or about 10 minutes shorter.