The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) announced on Friday the termination of 639 additional employees at Voice of America (VOA) and its parent agency, marking an 85% reduction in staff since March and effectively ending the 83-year-old broadcasting network.
Senior USAGM advisor Kari Lake stated that the cuts bring the agency’s workforce down to nearly the legal minimum of 81 employees, with only 250 staff remaining across USAGM, VOA, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB). Notably, none of OCB’s 33 employees were affected.
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“These layoffs are part of a necessary effort to eliminate inefficiency, bias, and bureaucratic bloat,” Lake said, calling the restructuring long overdue.
The latest dismissals follow the termination of nearly 600 VOA contractors in May, drastically scaling back an organization that once broadcast in nearly 50 languages to 360 million weekly listeners, many in authoritarian countries.
Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA’s near-closure comes after years of criticism from some Republican lawmakers, who accused the network of anti-conservative bias and pushed to defund it as part of broader government downsizing.
Meanwhile, Radio Free Asia, another USAGM outlet already operating with minimal staff, announced further furloughs in key departments, including HR, security, and journalism training.
The move signals the end of an era for U.S.-funded international broadcasting, leaving a significant gap in global news coverage.
