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The Canadian General Electric (CGE) RM110 solid-state portable record player embodies a crucial intersection of mid-century consumer culture, material innovation, and shifting youth markets. Manufactured during the late 1960s and early 1970s, this record player was designed to cater to the emerging teenage and young adult demographic, symbolizing the growing demand for portable and accessible music consumption. Unlike traditional console record players, which were stationary, communal, and integrated into family spaces, the RM110 was compact, portable, and marketed toward individual consumers, particularly youth and teenaged audiences seeking autonomy in their music consumption.

This report explores the CGE RM110’s significance in the broader context of mid-century music consumption, youth culture, and material innovation. We will examine the following; how teenagers shaped the demand for portable record players; the cultural impact of the RM110 in relation to youth autonomy and marketing strategies; the socioeconomic influences of ownership, including branch plant economies, licensing agreements, and distribution networks; and, its’ role within the disposable consumer culture of the time.