MTV - REAL WORLD VACATES PHILADELPHIA

Producers of MTV's longrunning reality show THE REAL WORLD have ditched plans to film the next series in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after squabbles with local unions.

When MTV selected Philadelphia as the location for its 15th season last month (FEB04), many in the city were elated, feeling it would add to the area's "cool" factor and help it retain recent college graduates.

But within four days, producers BUNIM/MURRAY had incurred the wrath of the unions by hiring a no-union company to renovate a building in Philadelphia's Old City historic district, where the castmembers were to live.

The series had sidestepped organised labour in 13 previous cities, including union strongholds New York City, Chicago and Boston, without incident.

Bosses have yet to announce where the upcoming series will now be filmed.