Radio Free Asia (RFA) announced Wednesday it is pausing operations for the first time in its history, amid the government shutdown and after the Trump administration cut its funding.
In a statement, RFA executive editor Rosa Hwang said the stoppage is “due to uncertain funding.”
“For RFA journalists who sacrificed so much in defying powerful and malignant forces, it’s an excruciating moment.”
RFA, established in 1996 via the International Broadcasting Act, reaches nearly 60 million people weekly in six countries without a free press: China, Myanmar, North Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
In fiscal 2024, RFA had a budget of $60.8 million. The organization, before furloughs earlier this year, consisted of 400 full-time staff and 500 stringers and contractors.
The pause comes amid the ongoing government shutdown, which hit 29 days Wednesday and is on the verge of becoming the longest funding lapse in U.S. history.
In March, President Trump ordered funding cuts to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees RFA. The USAGM, led by acting CEO Victor Morales and special adviser Kari Lake, a Trump ally, received more than $866.9 million in congressionally appropriated funds in fiscal 2024, according to its annual financial report.
As a result of the cuts, RFA furloughed three-quarters of its workforce. In late March, it said in a legal filing that it would shut down by the end of April without court intervention, according to Reuters.
On its website, RFA says it is providing limited news updates on its website and social media. In her statement, Hwang said RFA will return if its funding does.
“Independent journalism is at the core of RFA. For the first time since RFA’s inception almost 30 years ago, that voice is at risk,” Hwang said.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.