The US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has pledged to pay Radio Free Europe (RFE) a portion of the funds allocated to it by Congress shortly before a scheduled court hearing on the matter as part of legal proceedings that RFE has brought against the government over the agency's attempts to cut off federal funding.
The March 24 move means RFE/RL will receive $7,46 million, an amount covering the period from March 1 to 14, the day before USAGM announced it would end its grant to RFE/RL.
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"The agency has taken immediate administrative steps to initiate the payment," said a letter from USAGM attached to the court filing, adding that the payment should be made by March 26, and that RFE/RL will receive the funds by the end of the month.
At a court hearing later on March 24, Abigail Stout, a lawyer for the United States Department of Justice (US) representing USAGM, argued that the grant agreement between USAGM and RFE/RL, as set out in the International Broadcasting Act, gives the agency the right to terminate the agreement if RFE/RL fails to comply with the terms set out therein.
"So the statute actually provides that the agency could terminate the grant," she said.
David Zionts, one of RFE/RL's lawyers, said in response that "it wouldn't make sense" for Congress to approve funding only to agencies that can do as they please.
RFE/RL is also seeking the remainder of the grant funds that are earmarked for the entire 2025 budget year, which runs through September 30. A preliminary hearing on that remaining amount is scheduled for mid-April.
"A ray of light" through a mountain of lies
The threat of cutting off funding sparked a wave of public support in the 23 countries where RFE/RL broadcasts.
From Iran to Belarus, Afghanistan, Russia, all the way to Pakistan and Ukraine: readers and listeners praise RFE/RL journalists for their courageous, impartial and honest reporting from the front lines, but also from some of the most politically and media-repressive environments in the world, according to RFE/RL.
They also express concern that this medium could disappear.
"Sometimes you were like a ray of light breaking through a mountain of lies," wrote Oleh Prozorov, a reader from Ukraine, on Facebook. He also thanked RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service for "protecting political freedoms."
The order to cut funding came hours after an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump called for cuts to seven agencies, including USAGM, "to the maximum extent permitted by law."
RFE/RL's funding was cut in a letter signed by Carrie Lake, who signed as Senior Advisor (USAGM) to the Acting Director General with the authority delegated to her by the Acting Director General. The letter provided no further explanation other than that it no longer "affects the agency's priorities."
Trump's conflict with USAGM
Trump has nominated Lake to take over leadership of Voice of America, although her nomination still needs to be approved by the International Broadcasting Advisory Board (IBAB).
The US administration removed members of the IBAB, a consultative body established by Congress to oversee USAGM activities, in January. They have not yet been replaced.
While USAGM and Voice of America are federal agencies, RFE/RL is a private, nonprofit corporation incorporated in the U.S. state of Delaware. Although funded by Congress through grants, RFE/RL employees are not federal government employees.
Trump, who has taken several moves to reduce government spending since taking office in January, clashed with USAGM during his first term over editorial independence and programming direction.
Since taking office again, he has reiterated that concern. Advocates of these media outlets say they are an important part of American diplomacy.
"It is critical that Congress protect USAGM, ensure the safety of journalists, and reaffirm the U.S. government's commitment to a free and independent media at home and abroad," 28 journalism and press freedom organizations from around the world wrote in a letter to U.S. lawmakers on March 19.
Will the EU intervene?
In a situation of uncertain future, European Union politicians are considering the possibility of providing support to RFE/RL.
USAGM is an independent U.S. government agency that oversees the broadcasting of news and information in nearly 50 languages to approximately 361 million people each week.
The total budget request for USAGM for fiscal year 2025 was $950 million to fund all of its operations and capital investments.
These include media outlets such as RFE/RL, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, the Cuban Broadcasting Office (Radio Marti), the Middle East Media Networks (MBN), and the Open Technology Fund.
According to USAGM documents, the 2025 budget request for RSE was about $153 million.
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