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The of the compact disc (CD) Norio Ohga has died aged 81 of organ failure in the Japanese capital Tokyo. Mr Ohga was president and of Sony between 1982 and 1995. He is credited with pioneering the of the CD. Sony sold the world's first CD in 1982. Mr Ohga was responsible for its . He recommended a disc be 12cm in diameter because it contained enough to store Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which is 75 minutes . The size of CDs have remained unchanged and became the format for DVDs. CD sales in Japan overtook record sales within five years of their introduction. Ohga was an music enthusiast and studied to become an opera singer in his youth.

Sony's chairman, Sir Howard Stringer, tribute to Mr Ohga’s leadership and . He said the former chairman transformed Sony from a company that sold radios and electronics into a global entertainment . Ohga rose through the Sony ranks at a highly unusual for a Japanese company and was an executive by his 30s. Ohga moved Sony into new , making them an international player. He was key in the of Hollywood studio Colombia Pictures and the record company CBS. He also oversaw the of Sony’s highly successful PlayStation game console. Mr Stringer said: “By redefining Sony as a company encompassing hardware and software, Ohga-san succeeded where other Japanese companies .”