By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump effectively closed down the Voice of America (VOA) broadcaster Saturday, impacting hundreds of millions of people, many of whom listen in countries without a free press.
VOA says it provides “trusted and objective news and information in 49 languages to a measured weekly audience of more than 361 million people around the world.”
Well-informed sources said VOA journalists were just informed that they had been put on paid administrative leave.
“From what we can tell, VOA is effectively shut down from this moment.” Several frequencies played music while awaiting news from Washington, D.C. The payroll of Voice of America includes nearly 1,000 employees in the U.S. and abroad.
Ahead of Saturday’s developments, the government agency that runs VOA moved to terminate contracts with news agencies The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse and told its journalists Friday to stop using material from the wire services.
Kari Lake, the former broadcaster turned Republican politician whom President Trump selected to run VOA, estimated the move would save $53 million. On Thursday, she announced via social media that she was ending the “expensive and unnecessary contracts” with the wire services.
ELIMINATING ACTIVITIES
“We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,” said Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor. “With a nearly billion-dollar budget, we should be producing news ourselves. And if that’s not possible, the American taxpayer should demand to know why.”
More than 1,000 full-time staffers at the Voice of America and the smaller Office for Cuba Broadcasting, which runs Radio and Television Martí, were affected. “If you are an employee of the agency, please check your email immediately for more information,” Lake said on the social media platform X.
The move followed President Trump’s late Friday night edict that its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), must eliminate all activities not required by law.
An internal email seen by Worthy News told VOA and other employees that they would have to leave immediately. “Access to Premises and Systems: During the period that you are on administrative leave, you are not to enter USAGM premises, access USAGM systems, or attempt to use your position or authority with USAGM in any way without my prior permission or the prior permission of a supervisor in your chain of command,” the email said.
“Government Property: Since you will not have any official business during this time, upon request, you will be expected to immediately surrender your official USAGM identification badge and press pass, as well as any keys or other official government property, including documents, records, electronic and telephone devices, and other equipment,” added the email signed by “Crystal G. Thomas Director Office of Human Resources.
Additionally, under the leadership of Trump appointees, the agency severed all contracts for the privately incorporated international broadcasters it funds, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network, Worthy News learned.
“The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a massive gift to America’s enemies,” said the broadcaster’s President & CEO, Stephen Capus. “The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker,” he added.
TERMINATION PROCESS
The termination notices for the funded networks carried the signature of Trump’s senior adviser, Lake, whom he placed at USAGM, not the agency’s acting chief executive.
Lake does not appear to have the statutory authority to carry out that termination in her current job.
Grant Turner, the former chief financial officer at the USAGM, called it “Bloody Saturday” for the agency and its networks.
“From what I hear, this is shaping to be a really sad day. USAGM networks share important news, information, and American values around the world,” Turner said.
“It took decades to build this goodwill and an audience of hundreds of millions every week. Seeing arsonists just set fire to it all is awful,” he warned.
Since 1942, VOA has been the most prominent and oldest U.S. international broadcaster, followed by RFE/RL and other networks.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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