Testing of two meter systems was due to begin at the start of June but testing has only started on one, the Arbitron PPM system. Testing on the Eurisko Media Monitor will not start until July.
Rajar said this is because it only needs two months' data from the Eurisko system rather than the three it needs from the alternative. The tests were scheduled to last 12 weeks before the completion of a tender process and the award of a contract to run fuller tests of a system against Rajar's diary-based currency.
The situation is further complicated because a third electronic system under development by Ipsos-RSL is not yet ready to be tested by Rajar. But this delay is due to problems with the manufacturer rather than with Rajar's planning.
Observers are concerned that Rajar's "Roadmap for Change", introduced by the Rajar chief executive, Sally de la Bedoyere, and which aims to provide "live" data derived from electronic meters by 2007, is too ambitious.
Douglas McArthur, the chief executive of the Radio Advertising Bureau, said: "It's better to get things right rather than do them too quickly. This is much bigger than the changes Barb has been through."
However, Rajar said it was still on track to hit its timings.
"The tests started with the Arbitron People Meter on 6 June as planned. The Eurisko Media Monitor test was always going to start on 1 July. We're still on target."
The meter favoured by Kelvin MacKenzie, the former chief executive of The Wireless Group who took legal action against Rajar over audience measurement, was discounted from the process earlier this year because of issues over the frequency of data collection. However, Rajar has said it will review the situation if the problem is addressed.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
