The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) will transfer to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) a portion of the money allocated to it by Congress.
This is reported by Radio Liberty.
The agency made the decision ahead of a hearing in U.S. federal court in Washington regarding the deal. The unblocked funding will be enough for the broadcaster to operate for two weeks.
“We are confident that the law is on our side, as the US Constitution grants Congress the exclusive authority to manage the budget. It is illegal to deny us the funds that Congress has already allocated to Radio Liberty for the remainder of this fiscal year,” said Radio Liberty President and CEO Steven Kapus.
At the hearing, Justice Department lawyer Abigail Stout, who represented the Agency, argued that the grant agreement between USAGM and RFE/RL gives the Agency the right to terminate the agreement if Radio Liberty fails to comply with its provisions.
In response, one of Radio Libertyʼs lawyers, David Sionts, stated that it makes no sense for Congress to approve funding only for agencies to do whatever they want.
Radio Liberty continues to seek access to the remaining grant money that is due to them for the entire 2025 budget year (until September 30, 2025). The court will decide what to do with it in the coming weeks.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is an independent media corporation that has existed since 1953. It is funded by funds allocated by the United States Congress through the Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Radio Liberty broadcasts in more than 20 languages and its main goal is independent journalism, investigation, and support for democracy.
What preceded
On March 14, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce the activities of seven government agencies, including USAGM. It is in charge of foreign broadcasting and oversees, among others, the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. This was followed by an announcement that the US Congress approved a grant that finances the activities of these media outlets.
All Voice of America employees have been placed on administrative leave. This includes more than 1 300 journalists, producers, and support staff.
A few days later, Radio Liberty announced that the United States had stopped funding the publication. A number of EU countries want to fund Radio Liberty after the reduction in support from the United States, writes Politico.
- Earlier, American billionaire and head of the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk called for the closure of Radio Liberty and Voice of America. At the time, he said that no one listens to Radio Liberty and Voice of America, and called these media outlets “crazy left-wing radicals who talk to themselves, burning through billions of dollars of the US taxpayer money every year”. The US government has historically portrayed Voice of America as a counterweight to foreign propaganda and a model of free, honest, and truthful news coverage.
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