Canadians (44%) Say Death of Robin Williams Top Pop Culture Story of 2014

Toronto, ON - In a year that saw the fall of big-name celebrities and politicians to scandal, Canadians have named the death of beloved actor Robin Williams as the top pop culture story of the year, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Global News.

Among a list of 14 possibilities compiled by Global News, nearly half (44%) say that that Robin Williams' death was the top pop culture story of 2014, placing this story well ahead of any other pop-culture news of 2014.

Tied for second place, one in ten says that the Jian Ghomeshi (11%) and Bill Cosby (11%) sexual abuse scandals, along with the saga of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his appearances on late-night talk shows (10%), were the top pop culture news stories of 2014. Other prominent news chosen as the top pop culture story for 2014 by fewer Canadians include:

• The popularity of kids' movie "Frozen" (7%)
• Celebrity hacking - big name stars naked photos leaked on the internet (5%)
• The continued rise of Netflix (3%)
• 2014 celebrity marriages: George Clooney/Amal Alamuddin, Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie, Kanye/Kim Kardashian (2%)
• Justin Bieber's trouble with the law (2%)
• Joan Rivers dies (1%)
• Taylor Swift's stardom (1%)
• Kim Kardashian's butt "breaks the internet" (1%)
• Jay Leno leaving The Tonight Show and the rise of new host Jimmy Fallon (1%)
• Phillip Seymour Hoffman dies (less than 1%)

While Robin Williams' death was chosen as the top pop culture story among every demographic studied in the poll, some were more likely to choose it than others, and other stories piqued the curiosity of many Canadians:

• Quebecers (56%) were far more likely than average (44%) to say Robin Williams' death was the top pop culture story.
• The Bill Cosby sexual abuse story was chosen as the top story by significantly more Albertans (24%) than the average Canadian (11%).
• Ontarians (14%) were the most likely to choose Rob Ford as top pop culture news maker; Albertans (4%) were the least likely.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 16 to 19, 2014 on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

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