Dr. James Dobson — the founder of Focus on the Family, which saw its reach expanded by utilizing AM/FM radio — has died at the age of 89, his family has confirmed.
Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977. He then turned to radio to help expand the reach and growth of his advocacy in the 1980s and 1990s. At its height, Dobson’s radio show was heard on 1,200 radio stations around the country.
“Dr. Dobson’s impact endures through the many lives he touched, the families he strengthened, and the unshakable faith he proclaimed,” his family said in a statement announcing his death.
Dr. James Dobson was a controversial figure. Critics argued that the conservative ministry practiced by Focus on the Family — which counseled Christians on how to be good parents — was harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. The organization lobbied against laws to ban conversion therapy.
Dobson departed the organization in 2010. He then launched the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, where he continued his Family Talk radio show. The program is nationally syndicated and features more than 500,000 weekly listeners, according to the institute.
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