The United States Agency for Global Media has formally transmitted a congressional notification to House appropriators advising that the agency will stop funding the Hungarian language service at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and end US taxpayer support for content broadcast in the NATO-ally nation.
Acting United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Chief Executive Officer Kari Lake sent a formal congressional notification to Mario Díaz-Balart, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. The agency transmitted the notice pursuant to section 7015(a) and the International Broadcasting Operations title of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and related programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward under the full-year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025.
The notification advises Congress that, after consultation with the State Department, USAGM is “terminating and no longer funding the Hungarian language service at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) known as Szébad Europa.”
According to the document circulated Wednesday, the administration’s position is that “the original rationale for adding Szabadsz Europa to RFE/RL’s programming lineup in 2019 does not align with U.S. national interests,” and that the programming “undermines President Trump’s foreign policy by antagonizing Hungary’s duly elected Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.” The notification also underlines that Orbán “was (and is) the leader of Hungary, which is a strong US ally and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”
The letter further explained that U.S. taxpayer money used to develop or distribute U.S. government-funded content to audiences in NATO-ally countries would be eliminated, stating that “USAGM will end the use of any and all U.S. taxpayer money for the purpose of developing or distributing content to the populations of our NATO allies,” and to focus further resources “consistent with the Administration’s priorities” instead of programming broadcast within North Atlantic member countries. is about to be reallocated. Treaty Organization.
The notification also states that USAGM, Voice of America, the Cuban Broadcasting Office, and non-federal grantees receiving taxpayer funding “do not exist to serve the interests, policies, or agendas of the European Union or any other foreign government, federation or international body, but exist solely to serve the American people,” and the Administration’s position is that terminating the Hungarian service reflects that standard.
