California's Field Research Closing

Parent company Havas Advertising is to shutter California's Field Research, one of the USA's longest-established opinion pollsters.

The company ran the Field Poll, established in 1947 as the California Poll by Mervin Field, who died last year aged 94. Current poll Director Mark DiCamillo (pictured), reported in December on web site www.mercurynews.com , said: 'It is with great sadness that I must report to you that our parent company, Havas Advertising, will be closing Field Research next year and all activities related to the Field Poll will cease at that time. DiCamillo himself took up the role in 1993 and said the latest decision marked 'the end of an era'.

The independent organisation has run more than 2,500 telephone polls on presidential races, gubernatorial contests, ballot initiatives and social issues over seven decades. Since 1948, the difference between its final pre-election poll in California and the actual percentage vote for the winning candidate in races for President, Governor and Senate has averaged just two percentage points. Larry Gerston, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at San Jose State, told the publication: 'This is a great loss for anyone who wants to get unbiased, unvarnished, nonpartisan information about public opinion. The poll has had an outstanding reputation'.

Field Research Corp. at its height employed more than 75 people. It was bought by British comms company the KLP Group in 1988, with ownership later passing to the French marcoms giant. In addition to political polls the company also worked in healthcare and social research, and among consumers and business decision-makers.

Web site: www.field.com .