FROM THE PUBLISHER | STEVEN D. MILLS | ON THE DIAL
There is an extraordinary movement taking place across the digital landscape, and I believe the radio industry has a tremendous opportunity to become an even greater part of it. Millions of people are watching stories about ordinary individuals facing extraordinary circumstances, and instead of simply scrolling past, they’re opening their hearts, sharing those stories and sometimes contributing life-changing amounts of money. People like Jimmy Darts and Josh Liljenquist are demonstrating something that broadcasters have understood for generations: when a story reaches the heart, it can move an entire community. And while their platforms may look different from the radio stations many of us grew up loving, the principle behind their success is remarkably familiar.
People don’t simply want to be entertained. They want to feel connected, inspired and occasionally reminded that they have the power to make somebody else’s tomorrow a little better.
That’s not a criticism of radio.
It’s an invitation to imagine what radio could accomplish next.
When Kindness Becomes Bigger Than the Camera
Jimmy Darts has built a remarkable following by sharing encounters with people whose lives are often far more complicated than they appear.
A mother struggling to provide for her children.
A hardworking employee trying to make ends meet.
Someone facing homelessness.
A stranger whose generosity toward another person reveals that they may need help themselves.
Jimmy’s approach is often disarmingly simple. He starts a conversation, discovers a story and finds an opportunity to help.
And then something extraordinary happens.
His audience becomes involved.
According to reporting published in July 2026 by The Minnesota Star Tribune, Jimmy had attracted approximately 28 million followers and helped raise roughly $6 million for people in need.
Those are impressive numbers by almost any media standard.
But here’s what I find even more impressive.
The audience doesn’t simply watch.
It responds.
One particularly moving example involves Heavenly, a mother whose circumstances prompted Jimmy to organize a fundraising effort. The campaign attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in support, and Jimmy later reported that the total had surpassed $350,000. He also celebrated Spotfund’s donation of a vehicle to help her family.
That’s an extraordinary demonstration of what can happen when a compelling story meets an audience willing to participate.
Jimmy Darts has figured out something every media executive should appreciate: sometimes the most powerful content isn’t about what people can watch. It’s about what people can do.
And Then There’s a Man Who Helped Carry My Story to Millions
I want to spend some time talking about Josh Liljenquist, because his work has touched my life in a way that makes this entire subject deeply personal.
I’ve survived cancer twice.
Today, I’m living with end-stage kidney failure, undergoing dialysis and searching for an extraordinarily rare compatible kidney donor.
My medical circumstances are complicated, and finding a compatible donor has proven extraordinarily difficult.
I’ve spent months trying to make people aware of my situation.
I’ve spoken with broadcasters, appeared on programs, contacted public figures and shared my story across social media.
And through all of that, one of the people who has made an enormous difference is Josh Liljenquist.
Josh didn’t simply offer a few encouraging words.
He took action.
He created and shared a video about my search for a kidney, and that video reached more than four million views.
Think about what that means.
Millions of people were introduced to a husband, father, pastor and broadcaster who is desperately searching for one compatible kidney.
Millions of opportunities for someone to share my story.
Millions of opportunities for someone to consider living donation.
And millions of opportunities for a message of hope to travel far beyond the places I could reach on my own.
Josh also continued helping bring attention to my situation beyond that initial video.
And I want to say something publicly that I hope he understands.
Josh, you didn’t just give my story an audience. You gave my family and me another reason to believe that the right person might eventually hear it.
That matters more than I could ever adequately express.
Because when you’re fighting for your life, a view isn’t simply a number on a screen.
It represents a person.
A person who might share your story.
A person who might know someone willing to help.
A person who might become part of an answer you’ve been praying for.
I will never discount what Josh has done for me.
Not for a moment.
And I believe his work deserves to be recognized alongside anyone using digital media to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Radio Has Been Doing This for Generations
Now, here’s where I want to bring this conversation directly into broadcasting.
Radio didn’t discover community service yesterday.
For decades, stations across America have organized food drives, supported children’s hospitals, helped families recover from disasters and raised extraordinary amounts of money for people in need.
Some of the most meaningful moments in broadcasting history have had nothing to do with ratings.
They involved people.
Real people.
Real needs.
And broadcasters who understood that their microphones carried responsibilities beyond playing music or delivering the news.
There are stations doing exceptional community work today, and those efforts deserve tremendous recognition.
But the success of people like Jimmy Darts and Josh Liljenquist suggests an opportunity to build upon that tradition.
What if radio combined its established community relationships with the visual storytelling and direct audience participation that have become so powerful online?
What if the stories didn’t end when the morning show went off the air?
What if listeners could follow a family’s progress, participate in a community effort and see the difference their contributions made?
And what if those stories became a consistent part of a station’s identity?
Imagine a radio station becoming known not only for the music it plays or the personalities it employs, but for the lives it helps change.
That is a brand worth building.
The Next Great Radio Promotion Might Not Be a Promotion at All
Let me offer an idea.
What if a station selected one meaningful community story every week?
One family facing hardship.
One teacher who needs classroom supplies.
One veteran who could use assistance.
One caregiver quietly sacrificing everything for someone they love.
One individual whose circumstances deserve attention.
The station could introduce the story on the air, share a carefully produced video through its digital platforms and invite appropriate community participation.
Local businesses could help.
Listeners could volunteer.
Community organizations could provide expertise and resources.
And the station could follow up, allowing the audience to see what happened next.
The most important element would be the dignity of the people involved. Their consent, privacy and needs would always come before the desire to produce compelling content.
This wouldn’t need to become a competition between stations.
It could become a movement across markets.
And the beauty of the concept is that it doesn’t require every broadcaster to possess an enormous budget.
Sometimes a meaningful difference begins with a microphone, a relationship and a willingness to listen.
Other Digital Voices Are Demonstrating the Same Possibilities
Jimmy and Josh aren’t alone in showing how powerful human-centered storytelling can become.
MD Motivator has attracted attention through emotional encounters and acts of kindness.
Isaiah Garza has built a recognizable presence around generosity and helping people experiencing hardship.
MrBeast has demonstrated how large-scale productions and philanthropic initiatives can attract enormous audiences and mobilize resources.
Each has a different approach.
Each has developed a distinctive relationship with an audience.
And each offers lessons worth studying.
Radio doesn’t need to imitate these individuals.
It can learn from their strengths.
Authenticity.
Storytelling.
Consistency.
Audience participation.
And the willingness to put human experiences at the center of the message.
Imagine partnerships between these digital personalities and local broadcasters.
A creator could introduce a story to millions of followers while a radio station provides local relationships, community knowledge and continuing support.
The creator brings reach.
The station brings local presence.
And the person who needs assistance becomes the priority.
That’s the kind of collaboration that could remind audiences why radio remains such an extraordinary medium.
There’s a Business Lesson Here Too
We talk constantly about engagement in broadcasting.
Audience retention.
Time spent listening.
Digital impressions.
Social media growth.
Advertising performance.
All of those measurements have their place.
But what Jimmy Darts and Josh Liljenquist demonstrate is that engagement becomes especially meaningful when audiences feel personally connected to the outcome.
People return to stories they care about.
They share experiences that move them.
They develop loyalty toward voices they trust.
And they often appreciate businesses and organizations that participate in meaningful community efforts.
None of this guarantees ratings growth or increased advertising revenue.
But it does create an opportunity to strengthen relationships.
And relationships have always been among broadcasting’s greatest assets.
Perhaps the next chapter of radio innovation won’t be defined exclusively by a new app, another programming format or a technological breakthrough.
Perhaps part of that future will involve rediscovering the extraordinary value of being present when people need us most.
A Challenge to Radio and an Invitation to Those Making a Difference
I’d love to see broadcasters begin having conversations with people like Jimmy Darts, Josh Liljenquist and others who have built communities around kindness.
What can we learn from their storytelling?
How can we work together?
How can radio extend the reach of important human stories?
And how can we make it easier for listeners to become involved?
I would also love to hear from stations already doing this work.
Tell us about the families you’ve helped.
Tell us about the community partnerships you’ve developed.
Tell us about the moments that reminded you why you entered broadcasting in the first place.
On The Dial should be a place where those stories receive the recognition they deserve.
Because the broadcasting industry has plenty of challenges to discuss.
But it also has extraordinary opportunities worth celebrating.
From the Publisher — Never Underestimate the Power of One
My own medical journey has taught me something I wish I could communicate to every broadcaster in America.
Sometimes the person whose story you’re telling isn’t simply hoping for attention.
They’re hoping for another chance.
Another chance to recover.
Another chance to provide for their family.
Another chance to see their children grow older.
Another chance to live.
That’s why I’ll always be grateful to Josh Liljenquist for helping carry my story to millions of people.
And it’s why I have such admiration for Jimmy Darts and others who use their platforms to help strangers.
Their work reminds me that influence carries extraordinary possibilities.
Radio possesses that same potential.
It always has.
And perhaps this is the perfect moment to bring those possibilities together.
Not to chase viral numbers.
Not to manufacture emotional moments.
But to help people.
Because when the cameras stop rolling, when the microphones are turned off and when the social media attention eventually moves to another story, the most important question remains.
Did we make a meaningful difference in someone’s life?
If the answer is yes, then we’ve accomplished something worth celebrating.
And if the radio industry can make that question a greater part of its future, I believe some of its finest days may still be ahead.
The next great moment in radio might not be a record-breaking ratings book. It might be the moment an entire community comes together because one broadcaster decided that one person’s story mattered.
And that, my friends, is the kind of radio I want to see more of.
— Steven D. Mills
President and Publisher, On The Dial
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.
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