A federal appeals court this week partially reversed some court injunctions that affect the funding of some external, government-backed broadcasters.
Late Thursday evening, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled the Trump administration may direct the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to deprive Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia of federal funding.
The matter is rooted in an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump in March that directed USAGM to lay off non-essential employees, eliminate contracts and withhold funding from its external broadcast partners. In addition to the two named outlets, the order affected Voice of America, which laid off more than 1,000 workers and stopped broadcasting on radio and television within days.
The appeals court upheld a decision involving Voice of America journalists, which requires the Trump administration to immediately re-hire affected workers, restore contracts and resume broadcast operations. Unlike Voice of America, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia are not directly controlled by the USAGM — instead, they operate as separate organizations that, through acts of Congress, are entitled to receive funding from USAGM.
The order issued late Thursday was an administrative stay that effectively reverses an injunction issued by a lower court in two lawsuits brought by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia workers and contractors several weeks ago. Before it was issued, the Trump administration was readying a payment of around $15 million to the outlets, including $12 million directed to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. It wasn’t clear if those payments would be made in light of the appeals court’s decision.
