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1982: US borough bans the Walkman

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The Walkman first went on sale in Japan on 1 July 1979, and would become a global icon during the next decade.

Three years after its launch, a town in Woodbridge, New Jersey, decided to ban the portable cassette player because of fears citizens were closing themselves off to the sounds of the street.

"It's the latest status symbol, delivering the trendy into their own private world of melody."

This clip is from BBC News.

BBC Archive: Originally broadcast 6 August 1982.