The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has decided to withdraw its decision to cancel a grant for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
This is stated in a letter signed by senior advisor to the head of USAGM Carey Lake.
The restoration of funding was based on a decision by the Federal District Court in Washington, which sided with Radio Liberty on March 26. The broadcaster appealed the termination of funding.
The document states that the previous decision to cancel the grant is revoked, and the grant agreement is reinstated. Lake clarified that USAGM reserves the right to cancel funding in the future. The remaining portion of the grant is calculated until September 30, 2025.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is an independent media corporation that has existed since 1953. It is funded by appropriations from the US Congress through the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Radio Liberty broadcasts in more than 20 languages and its stated mission is independent journalism, investigation, and support for democracy.
What preceded
On March 14, the 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, in particular, the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. This was followed by the announcement of the termination of the grant approved by the US Congress that finances the activities of these media outlets.
A few days later, Radio Liberty reported that the United States had stopped funding the publication. The broadcaster filed a lawsuit.
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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