22 thoughts on “USAGM Shutdowns: A Roundup of Reports and Reactions”

1. Hun Király March 22, 2025 at 6:53 am

   Initially, Trump’s team only wanted to reshape the work of state media, change editorial policies, and stop promoting a liberal agenda around the world. To do this, Trump loyalist Carey Lake was appointed to head the “Voice of America.” But he immediately met with hostility from the “unique team of journalists” who did not want to change anything.

   The state media refused to change editorial policies and did not want to hire right-wing journalists. They deliberately entered into conflict with the White House, constantly clashing with Trump at press conferences.

   The result was predictable.

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   1. Cees Smal March 22, 2025 at 10:31 am

      It’s Kari Lake. She not he.

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2. mangosman March 21, 2025 at 4:00 am

   There are comments here about the demise of high frequency broadcast radio. I would like to make the following comparisons between High frequency broadcast radio and the internet.
   Program selection AM HF radio, requires the listener to memorise the 4 digit frequency of transmission which changes between day and night and with the seasons and often broadcasts are not continuous compared to the internet where you only have to remember the name of the program.
   The sound quality of HF is always poorer than the internet. HF broadcast not only a lack of high pitched sounds even in speech (where differentiation between ‘s’ and ‘f’ can be difficult) because of the low bandwidth, add to this noise, distortion (particularly when multiple reflections from the ionosphere are heard simultaneously), the hearing of more than one broadcast simultaneously (where the broadcaster’s bandwidth exceeds the raster of frequencies. For example the raster of frequencies is 5 kHz but the broadcast is double the audio bandwidth causing an overlap thus 2 stations heard at once. None of this occurs on the internet.

   The internet vs HF broadcast radio.
   The internet needs a wider bandwidth signal to and from the broadcasters’ server. HF broadcasting is a one way signal. This means electricity consumption per listener is higher in the internet particularly if there is a large audience and/or widely geographically separated.
   Since internet feeds are bidirectional the broadcaster can measure audience statistics accurately where as this is difficult with HF broadcasting to foreign countries and different languages where it is difficult to get audience watch based surveys. (Watch based means the loudness of the sound from the radio is compared with possible broadcasters. If they match and you are not asleep it will count you as listening to that station. The data needs the internet to return the watch data to the survey company)
   The internet has to be delivered by either cable between the broadcaster and the listener or it has to travel most of the way using this method and is then fed into a mobile phone base station to get to a phone. The phone network need a lot of computing capacity to determine which base station can connect to the phone, The phone base stations cover around 300 km², where as HF radio can cover a whole continent or ocean.
   The internet is easily disconnected from a counties’ network for political or natural disaster reasons. It is much harder to stop HF broadcasts where high power transmitters can be located away from danger or attack.

   An example of Tonga, an island in the remote South Pacific, had an undersea earthquake in 2022. The ash cloud stopped signals going to and from satellites, the fibre optic undersea cable broke. There was no communications at all for 6 weeks. This caused the New Zealand Government to buy a new replacement 100 kW high frequency transmitter for around $US 3 million. This transmitter joins a another existing transmitter. They both can transmit AM and Digital Radio Mondiale. DRM cures all of the HF ills listed above. https://soundcloud.com/digital-radio-mondiale/sets/drm-ktwr-test-recorded-in-kobe You can hear the female on the left and the male on the right and phasing in ionospheric reflections does not move the sound around either!. It gives reliable reception provided you are in the target area where the signal is strong enough. In addition it can transmit colour weather and tsunami maps and give indexed detailed multilingual text which is good for multiple simultaneous emergencies.

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   1. qwertyamdx March 21, 2025 at 2:34 pm

      The topic of this article is the USAGM, not RNZI which uses DRM solely to provide the signal for the partner stations in the Pacific region. VoA and affiliated USAGM stations did test DRM multiple times and did not implement regular broadcasting. Perhaps the fact that there have never been any readily available DRM receivers on the market played a decisive role?

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      1. mangosman March 22, 2025 at 8:07 pm

         If Musk thought that shortwave broadcasting was not listened to then DOGE would have closed it down.
         United States Agency for Global Media including contract transmitter sites outside of USA, 13 sites and 1 in the USA. Trump must believe there is an audience particularly in areas of conflict so he closed it down..
         Russia had an extensive high power high frequency broadcast network which closed in 2014.
         Chinese HF transmitter sites:26 AM domestic 15 AM international and 5 DRM domestic. This year they will mandate DRM in all vehicles for domestic use.
         The USA President’s executive order brings USA in line with the above broadcasters where broadcasts cannot be guaranteed unbiased to their respective Governments.

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         1. qwertyamdx March 23, 2025 at 3:44 pm

            > Russia had an extensive high power high frequency broadcast network which closed in 2014.
            That included switching off DRM which they also used. So what is the exact point here?

            > Chinese HF transmitter sites:26 AM domestic 15 AM international and 5 DRM domestic.
            Please also compare the number of hours of programmes transmitted daily.

            > This year they will mandate DRM in all vehicles for domestic use.
            In the comments section under the article “Video: New DRM Module covers 150 kHz to 108 MHz” you claimed that “China is now making DRM/AM along with their own digital format in the FM band compulsory in new cars for their domestic market”. “Now” in that context meant “in 2024”, because the comment was published in June 2024. Now (in March 2025) you claim that they are totally, now for real, going to do it this year. For me it seems like moving the goalpost, or vaporwave. Typical for all of these DRM deployments – lots of talk but zero actions. Now I wonder what is China going to mandate in 2026? Perhaps it will (also) be DRM?

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         2. qwertyamdx March 23, 2025 at 7:31 pm

            An addendum to my previous comment on the numbers. This is a common example of presenting seemingly factual numbers without the necessary context. The aim is most likely to produce a claim that China is supposedly “going big” on DRM.

            First of all, we do not know how were the individual sites classified. Mangosman distinguishes three categories of Chinese HF transmitter sites: “AM domestic”, “AM international” and “DRM domestic”. The issue is that a single site can fall into multiple categories simultaneously. Take the Urumqi site for example. It carries DRM tests of CNR1 (that would be “DRM domestic”), various external services of CRI (“AM international”) and few hours of daily programming from PBS Xizang (“AM domestic”). We do not know whether this site was classified as belonging to one of the categories, to few, or to all of them. Another site, Beijing, carries AM HF programming from CNR1, CNR2, CNR5, CNR6, CNR8 (all “AM domestic”), lots of CRI on AM (definitely “AM international”) and, on top of that, some CRI1 DRM tests. The same goes for the other numbers, we do not actually know what is the source of the data, what are the exact sites, so we cannot verify that, we just have to take the word (or, in that case, the number) for it.

            Another issue would be determining the impact of these numbers of DRM tests on the actual Chinese media landscape. The current state is that CNR 1 does, in fact, test DRM on shortwave. But the CNR as a whole transmits 17 different radio stations, 9 of which are available on analogue shortwave (source: Wikipedia). And these are just the national stations – apart from them, there are dozens of regional stations that are also on analogue shortwave but not on DRM. Coming back to the CNR 1 itself, it’s not transmitted only on SW, but also on FM and MW. The current number of MW transmitters is 439 (source: fmscan.org). I think it is quite fair to say that if a broadcasting system was implemented by one of perhaps few hundreds of stations in a given country, on less than 1% of its transmitters, then the implementation of this system is far from being completed.

            One might say that they’re surely going to accelerate the deployment. Fine, but why they haven’t done so in the past 6 years? I am looking at an article that was also posted here – “China Makes Its DRM Move” published in 2019 in the Radio World. Few interesting excerpts:
            >> Just over a year ago, China had no regular DRM presence. Today, it is the world’s largest DRM shortwave broadcaster. China operates the most DRM transmitters in this band and has the most extensive schedule.
            My comment: It’s quite easy to become the biggest in something virtually no one else does!
            >> By 2012, a complete DRM transmission system conducted on-air tests. The CNR network, which is rolling out today, is the culmination of that effort.
            My comment: Seems it’s really a culmination – no new Chinese station has launched DRM since then.
            >> Perhaps the extensive schedule will spur mass-production of receivers.
            My comment: Now we can clearly see it didn’t, just as every other DRM deployment. Of course, some will continue to claim that it’s precisely the reason it needs to be tried once again for the gazillionth time, because this time doing the same thing will surely produce a different outcome. I remain skeptical, though.

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3. TomL March 20, 2025 at 12:09 am

   I tend to agree with Dan Robinson. Every agency of the US government has become a gigantic, never-ending, grift to the tune of TRILLIONS of $$$. I have tried to listen to VOA but always found their news reporting to be of a particular anti-Traditional mindset, and mildly Elitist (representing the D.C. BUREAUCRATS, similar to PBS Radio&TV). Apparently, the Trump advisors and the State Department are in sync with Trump on this issue. This means that whatever the fate of the facilities which could be used may not be viable in their opinion. Look what happened to Radio Australia’s wonderful Shepparton shortwave broadcast site.

   Many have mentioned that the Cold War is over and this service has outlived its usefulness. Seems like this very large fact is overlooked by a good portion of the SWL audience. There are other institutions that are completely stuck in the past looking for a purpose. I immediately think of NATO, whose leaders think they can unilaterally decide the fate of all of Europe, SouthEast Asia, and the Middle East (or send people’s children to die trying). The world is changing FAST into a more merchantile, regional, and friend-shoring environment. You can see this in the drop in the US Dollar, the rise of gold (and eventually other commodities), and the volatility in financialized Globalism. Having a strong regional presence is what people should be anticipating, aka, a Monroe Doctrine version 2.0.

   A sign of this is the fee-based services for every type of digital media. I would love to have free internet, but I have to pay for any internet connection in order to access these services. Some of these may be behind paywalls. No more free stuff! That is the future, in my opinion. If USAGM can reconstitute itself as a more centralized, efficient organization that is MORE responsive to US regional interests, then I think it could still have a good future. Unfortunately, it just won’t be on shortwave.

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4. Sakura March 19, 2025 at 9:19 am

   A lot of this is predicated on countries leaders thinking everyone has great cell service and satellite dishes everywhere, so it’s no longer required. Radio Marti has been widely criticized since the Clinton administration for being a waste of funds, for example.

   I don’t know what VOA’s “market share” is actually in Africa but whenever I hear VOA in English it’s with African presenters, excepting the editorial stated that it reflects the opinion of the US Department of State.

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5. Steve March 19, 2025 at 5:16 am

   I have an idea. Interested hams can fill the gap by creating an “amateur” international broadcasting network relying heavily on the internet and using over-the-air spectrum where it is available.

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6. Timothy Marecki March 19, 2025 at 2:09 am

   This is just as bad as when Canada shutdown RCI. It just seems like many stations are shutdown, without any regards to the unbiased content they provide.

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7. mangosman March 18, 2025 at 8:31 pm

   The plot thickens

   https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/rfe-rl-sues-the-usagm-to-get-its-grant-back

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8. Gareth March 18, 2025 at 2:10 pm

   I read somewhere that a conservative is someone who knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. Sums up this situation quite neatly, it seems.

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   1. Ken Z March 27, 2025 at 11:00 pm

      Ahhhh yes, but in THIS case they don’t even actually know the cost.
      For example, the USAGM consumes .008% (not cents, PERCENT) of the US budget.
      It would take almost two weeks for US taxpayers to gain one penny of savings by eliminating the USAGM.

      The Pentagon spends that in a fraction of a millisecond. But the output of ‘soft power’ influence like the VoA and similar broadcasters can actually SAVE money in the long run by making conflict less likely and empowering people to fight back against oppressive regimes.

      But then we’re back to knowing the VALUE of things and not just the cost.

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9. Waldo Rethemias March 18, 2025 at 12:18 pm

   I’d been following for the last week the announcements and development of the USAGM shutdowns. Different opinions and repercussions around the world.
   The duty of any media is to inform and entertain without any bias. This said, I realize that USAGM as a government agency sometimes do need to adjust their views in order to comply with its mission or policy of the government but besides any internal or external causes or deviations from the standards and transparency the main role of the affected services Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, VOA and R. Martí are fulfilled. I understand that short-wave may no be cost-effective and nowadays internet is today the main means of information. Curtailing them is taking away our rights as citizens to be informed.
   The usual arguments regarding the audience of SW radio, the risk of censored internet and so on come forward but every time a new conflict or whatever arises short-wave is revamped. And this is a fact.
   What is the appeal of information agencies now that the Cold War is over (although new conflicts start every month) to the peoples of Africa, Asia or Latin America? The fears that we had in the glory days of short-wave are long gone but replaced by others albeit of a different nature.
   To overcome those we the people need to understand them and be able to reason and judge and this can be achieved by having trustworthy sources of information.
   Once we are able to separate the wheat from the chaff we are good to go.
   China applauded the executive order. Very soon we will see those slots occupied by CRI.
   A few opinions criticised and others congratulated on the move.
   Whatever the outcome and results in the long run is something to be studied and if a reversal is in order I really hope in the good judgement and the now diminished power of the citizens of the world. Today a great damage has been inflicted on freedom.
   In the mean time I am learning mandarin language.

   Best to all of us.
   Waldo (Uruguay)

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10. HB March 18, 2025 at 12:01 pm

    VOA needs more fiscally responsible management and a return to unbiased reporting. Shortwave still has a play I for the US on the world stage – let’s lead not follow.

    Abrupt changes in the back office are required – not on the front steps!

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11. Bob Colegrove March 18, 2025 at 11:11 am

    It’s not politics, folks. If the action of the current US administration to curtail VoA/USAGM has any significance, it is but a single nail in the coffin of an institution whose interment began decades ago. I read an article many years ago about a farmer in some third-world country who plowed his field with a radio strapped around the horn of his ox. Evidence seems to suggest that mode of communication is no longer the best way to reach a man’s heart and mind.

    Consider a few of the significant international broadcasters whose transmitters have either gone silent or are mere shadows of their former selves: United Kingdom, Russia, Australia, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa, Canada, even Cuba (but not for lack of trying).

    It has been a long time coming. Let’s pay our respects and get back to enjoying all that’s still good about radio.

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    1. Robert Sillett March 18, 2025 at 10:10 pm

       Your perspective is quite wise and apt. The rise of the Internet and streaming has a direct correlation to the decline of traditional broadcasts, not just shortwave, but AM/FM and OTA TV as well. A you mentioned, almost all countries came to this conclusion one to two decades ago.

       The numbers bandied about of reaching so many million people sadly fall into the lies, damn lies, and statistics category. If one has travelled to any of the target areas for the VoA/RFE/RL over the past decades, it is readily apparent that shortwave does not play a role in peoples’ lives. Secondly, as shortwave listeners, we are quite aware of the jamming of VoA, Radio Marti, and RFA. The jamming of the Chinese Firedrake was so notable that shortwave schedules like EiBi and others listed the Firedrake as a bona fide transmission to be logged.

       Regardless of the direct cause of the shutdown, we cannot escape the fact that shortwave is a costly medium with a miniscule audience. I long for the Halcyon days of yore where Radio Moscow was ever-present on the dial, giving glorious reports about tractor production and the amazing success of the latest five-year plan plus the Moscow Mailbag program with Joe Adamov, responding to letters with over-the-top snark before snark was even a word.

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12. Mark March 18, 2025 at 9:23 am

    VOA Africa on 15580kHz has been a permanent fixture of my radios for decades, so it has been quite a shock to have it disappear overnight like this.

    When the first rumblings against VOA started recently, I was worried it would suddenly turn into an American version of Radio Moscow or Radio Tirana.

    Given the choice, it feels better for it to disappear fully focused on it’s original mission (even with its flaws), than to be warped into something grotesque.

    I was recording 15580kHz on Sunday just before the usual 20:00 shutoff, thinking there might be some kind of announcement. There was just some music followed by a few seconds of carrier and then nothing but static. It’s been like that ever since.

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13. Donald Glocka March 18, 2025 at 9:09 am

    What SHOULD’Ve been done is to rectify VOA’s (perceived or real) transgressions is to address them with those responsible and remove those that fail to comply. The overtly visceral solution to shut down the entire VOA operation because of poor performance at the top heavy management levels is a classic example of “throwing g out the baby with the bathwater”.

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14. Jake Brodsky, AB3A March 18, 2025 at 9:01 am

    Jock Elliott makes the point that I believe we can all agree with. Even if these services are being done poorly (allegations of poor journalism standards have been circulating for decades as well as corruption and mismanagement), it doesn’t mean they are not needed.

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15. Jock Elliott March 18, 2025 at 8:01 am

    Dan Robinson is someone who has “been there, done that,” and I respect his opinion:

    “Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of Voice of America and its former White House correspondent, wrote last year: “I have monitored the agency’s bureaucracy along with many of its reporters and concluded that it has essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media. It has sought to avoid accountability for violations of journalistic standards and mismanagement.””

    At the same time, I sincerely hope that the Federal Government will not abandon shortwave radio as a means of communicating with Global Audiences.

    Previously, I sent this through the White House contact page:

    “Mr. President;

    First, I am not, and never have been, employed by Voice of America or Radio Free Europe.

    But you might want to think twice before you shut them down.

    If the electronic networks such as internet and mobile phones are ever shut down, you might want a means of communicating with the populations overseas; you might want to factor that into your decision-making process.

    Radio can be an essential resource when the crunch comes, as was demonstrated recently in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee: https://swling.com/blog/2024/11/a-shining-moment-for-ham-radio/

    You might want to keep international broadcasting — with appropriate messaging — as “another club in your bag.”

    Sincerely, Jock Elliott”

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