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The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) informed the Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Wednesday that it was reversing its previous decision to end funding. The grant agreement for this fiscal year is now back on track, RFE/RL announced Thursday.
The station is awaiting official confirmation from USAGM that funding will resume promptly, RFE/RL General Director Stephen Capus said.
Czechia has recently made a significant commitment to keeping the station operational.
USAGM’s announcement followed a court ruling on Tuesday that placed a preliminary injunction on hold in an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to cut funding for the station.
The radio station argues that losing the approximately USD 77 million Congress allocated for this fiscal year, which runs through September, would violate federal law.
It has challenged the Trump administration’s decision in court. A judge ruled preliminarily in its favor, stating that USAGM management could not, “in one sentence that contains virtually no explanation,” force RFE/RL to shut down—even under a presidential order.
In a press release, Capus called the decision an encouraging sign that RFE/RL's operations will continue as Congress intended. The station now awaits official confirmation that the grant will be reinstated based on Wednesday’s letter from USAGM, he said.
Trump’s adviser at USAGM, Kari Lake, wrote in a letter previously reported by The Independent that the agency had “rescinded” its previous notice of termination, allowing RFE/RL to continue receiving federal funding for now. However, she added that the cancellation was “without prejudice” to USAGM’s authority to terminate the grant later if deemed appropriate under the law. The agency also notified the court of its new decision in an effort to settle the lawsuit.
In Tuesday’s preliminary ruling, the judge stated that USAGM had acted arbitrarily in withdrawing the grant, which Congress had already allocated, and that its decision would cause “irreparable harm” to RFE/RL.
The Czech Republic has led an initiative to secure RFE/RL’s operations in case of a funding shortfall. Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák said Tuesday that 12 countries have supported the effort. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged her support Wednesday, saying she would work with European states, including Czechia, to assist the station.
"It remains the case that, together with our partners, we are seeking long-term and credible support for Radio Free Europe, which provides verified information where access to verified information is under threat," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a statement provided to ČTK by his spokesman, Daniel Drake.
RFE/RL describes itself as a private, independent international news organization with nearly 50 million weekly viewers across 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
“This is not the time for RFE/RL to go quiet,” Capus said. “Millions of people rely on us for factual information in places where censorship is widespread. We must not cave in to our adversaries at a time when threats to America are on the rise.”
