Musk says he wants to shut down Prague-based broadcaster

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), based in Prague since 1995, faces an uncertain future after entrepreneur Elon Musk proposed cutting its funding. Musk, part of American President Donald Trump’s government, argues that the station is outdated and a waste of taxpayer money. 

Musk claims the U.S. spends “USD 1 billion [CZK 24 billion] taxpayer dollars a year” on such broadcasters, dismissing them as platforms for “radical left-wing people talking to each other.” However, the actual combined budget for RFE/RL and Voice of America (VoA), which supports the Prague-based broadcaster, is about USD 450 million [CZK 10.9 billion] per year.

Since moving from Munich in 1995, RFE/RL has been a key player in Prague’s media landscape. Originally established to provide independent news to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, it now broadcasts in regions with limited press freedom, including Russia, Belarus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Cuba. The Prague office serves as its main operational center.

"Just turn them off," Musk said on social media site X earlier this week.

Talk of shutting down RFE/RL has sparked debate in the Czech Republic, where the station is seen as a symbol of democracy and press freedom. Former RFE/RL journalist Lída Rakušanová, who worked at the station from 1968 to 1994, told Czech media outlet Deník N that discussions about its funding have been ongoing for years. “After 1989, the U.S. Congress considered shutting it down but decided against it due to the war in Yugoslavia,” she said.

Musk’s broader cost-cutting plans include dissolving the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian aid worldwide. He has called USAID a “criminal organization.”

While some former RFE/RL journalists argue the station’s mission remains vital, others believe the EU could take over its oversight. “The end of RFE/RL comes at a time when Europe needs it the least,” Rakušanová said. “But it could also be an opportunity for the EU to step in.”

RFE/RL’s Prague office declined to comment on Musk’s remarks. As U.S. Congress debates its future, Prague officials and media professionals continue to monitor the situation closely.