RFE/RL President: Defunding Would be “Massive Gift to America’s Enemies”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was informed today by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that its federal grant agreement, which funds RFE/RL’s global operations, has been terminated.
(WASHINGTON)—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was informed today by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that its federal grant agreement, which funds RFE/RL’s global operations, has been terminated.
RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said:
“The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a massive gift to America’s enemies. 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.
We’ve benefitted from strong bipartisan support throughout RFE/RL’s storied history. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information each week won’t have access to the truth about America and the world.”
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About RFE/RL
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a private, independent international news organization whose programs — radio, Internet, television, and mobile — reach a weekly audience of nearly 50 million people in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through USAGM.