Radio broadcasting for international audiences is done by host countries for countries around the world. The idea is to provide news and the country’s perspective in different languages.
The US broadcast was overseen by the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM). It managed Voice of America (VoA), Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.
Earlier in March 2025, the White House issued an executive order effectively closing the USAGM.
VoA was setup in 1942 to broadcast American views and counter Nazi propaganda during World War ll (1939-45). It was the voice of American freedom and democracy in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It had bureaus in countries around the world. The estimated audience was 354 million people. It was distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW. It had a network of 3500 affiliate stations.
Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Liberty (RL) were founded during the cold war in 1949 and 1951 respectively to reach American viewpoint to listeners in the Soviet Union and its satellite states. Since mid-1990s, RFE/RL has been based in Prague and broadcasts to almost two dozen countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
RFA started Mandarin language service in 1996. It is a crucial source of news and has an audience of around 60 million.
VoA and RFA had annual budgets of $267.5 million and $63 million respectively.
The staff has been put on unpaid leave.
RFE is looking to Europe as a possible source of funding.
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