RadioFrit Europe says we close its Russian broadcast

The head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said on Thursday that the US government had turned off a satellite that transferred his Russian-language program to Russia.

The Prague-based station founded by the United States during the Cold War to counter Soviet propaganda has seen its funding frozen by US President Donald Trump in the midst of a drive to cut the size of the federal government.

RFE/RL won a temporary restriction order in court, but the US Global Media Agency, the US Government Agency, who oversees its operations, has not yet released funding.

“We came to work today and saw that satellite services reaching Russia had been extinguished by USAGM,” RFE/RL CEO Stephen Capus told AFP.

The decision affects the 24-hour Russian-linguistic current time channel broadcasts to Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and other regions.

“USAGM informed RFE/RL that satellite contracts carrying the current time to Europe were terminated,” Capus added.

USAGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Capus said Russian clients now got a red TV screen with a character: “We regret to inform you that the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has decided to complete the distribution of the current time.”

RFE/RL reaches nearly 50 million people in countries, including Belarus, China, Iran or Russia, trying to counter the official propaganda.

By hiring 1,700 employees, it emits 27 languages to 23 countries.

RFE/RL moved to Prague from Munich in 1995 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Capus said the radio had other means to reach the Russian audience.

“But … this was not the Russian government that took such action. This was ordered by Usagm,” he said.

RFE/RL put many employees on reduced payment leave on Tuesday when it was waiting for USAGM to pay the $ 77 million that the radio will continue to run until October.

“I don’t think there’s any question that Trump administration would like to see us shut down. I think it’s pretty clear,” Capus said.

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