DJ “Johnny J” has an early morning radio gig every Friday. His show airs from 1 to 5 a.m.          

“I like that time,” says Johnny, who’s name is actually John Johnson. “It’s in the middle of the day for people in England and Germany.”         

So what radio station broadcasts from Denver, Colorado—where Johnny lives—to England and Germany, and all across Asia as well? It’s ACB Radio, a station created by the American Council of the Blind to showcase and nurture the creativity and talents of those who are blind or who have low vision. Listeners in more than 70 countries now tune in regularly to hear ACB Radio’s eclectic mix of programming, and those numbers are growing.          

Johnson, who completed a B.A. degree in Broadcast Communication from Metro State College in Denver in 1997, has worked in local television for years, first on the public access channel in Denver, and then on the PBS station that broadcasts across the state of Colorado. His entertainment show appears three times each week, twice on the public access channel and once on PBS. Now ACB Radio presents Johnson with a new broadcast opportunity on a larger stage.          

“At first I didn’t get the concept that I could actually be a DJ on the Internet,” says Johnny. “The whole Internet thing was kind of like new to me.” But once he got the concept, he went with it.         

Music is the staple diet on ACB Radio. A glance through the programming schedule reveals a lineup of classic rock, country, folk, and Contemporary Christian Music. But there’s also a cooking class called “Cooking in the Dark,” a show presenting interviews with blind authors, and a sports show for the visually impaired.         

“We’re trying to get more DJs,” says Johnny. “New programming is coming on all the time. If there’s programming somebody would like to hear, they can audition, and they might be able to start their own program.”         

According to Johnson, blind and low-vision computer users will have an easy time navigating on the ACB Radio website. He likes the fact that it is also highly interactive. “A listener can email us, and we guarantee that we’ll get his request on within three songs,” he says. If a listener’s computer includes a microphone and speaker, she can easily download the free software necessary to carry on a real-time conversation with the DJ whose program is currently on the air.          

Whether it’s to listen to ACB Radio, or to get information on beginning a new experience as a broadcaster, Johnson encourages everyone to go online to www.acbradio.org and learn more.