The UK’s radio industry has spent a long time preparing for electronic measurement, but at the last hurdle they’ve abandoned their plans and a re sticking to diaries. After spending about £3.5 million on feasibility studies with Arbitron’s Personal People Meter, it’s all been called off.

The joint industry organisation that looks after radio measurement, RAJAR, might be looking at a new online diary system, with testing taking place in July.

Apparently the main problem was getting the panel to put accurate data into the machines at breakfast time.

The electronic meter trials started in London in early 2007 but one of the key sponsors, the television measurement body BARB, left after a year. This made the project costly for the remaining partner, RAJAR.