The Czech Republic has urged European Union support to maintain funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a US government-funded broadcaster that was cut from its annual budget by the Trump administration. RFE/RL, based in Prague, reaches nearly 50 million weekly listeners across 23 countries and is considered one of the few credible sources in dictatorships like Iran and Belarus.
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky described RFE/RL as “crucial” for promoting democratic values and countering authoritarianism. The broadcaster’s president and CEO, Stephen Capus, warned that axing its funding would be a major blow to US interests, as the Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate its demise.
The move has sparked criticism from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which said thousands of journalists working on US-funded outlets like RFE/RL would face financial hardship. The Czech Republic’s EU foreign ministers are discussing ways to partially maintain RFE/RL’s broadcasting services.
In contrast, state broadcasters in Russia, China, and Iran continue to receive significant funding from their governments, pouring resources into counteracting Western liberalism around the world. VOA has been severely impacted by the US funding cut, with most full-time staff on administrative leave and contractors laid off.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2d5gpnv6mo