Washington (TDI): A US federal judge has instructed the US Agency for Global Media to reinstate more than 1,000 employees and resume full operations of Voice of America (VOA) by March 23, reversing a controversial shutdown of the broadcaster.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said the agency’s decision to scale back VOA and its affiliated outlets violated federal law and strayed from its mandated role. He ordered the immediate restoration of programming as well as the return of staff who had been dismissed or sidelined.
The dispute centers on sweeping changes introduced in 2025 under Kari Lake, a former news anchor turned political figure and ally of President Donald Trump. After joining USAGM as a senior adviser in March that year, Lake rose to deputy chief executive and later served briefly as acting CEO.
Despite not receiving Senate confirmation for the top post, she held significant authority and oversaw major restructuring efforts. Those measures included large-scale layoffs and deep cuts to VOA’s international broadcasts, effectively shutting down several of its services.
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Judge Lamberth found that the agency did not provide sufficient legal grounds for dismantling such a major public broadcaster, declaring the actions unlawful. The decision nullifies the staff reductions and program suspensions carried out during that period.
VOA Director Michael Abramowitz welcomed the ruling, saying the organization is ready to resume its work. He praised employees for their perseverance during months of uncertainty and emphasized the continued importance of VOA’s mission.
The cuts had global repercussions, including in South Asia, where around 100 journalists from VOA’s Urdu and Pashto services were affected after those units were either closed or significantly reduced.
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Established during World War II, VOA broadcasts in dozens of languages and is considered a key part of US international media outreach, with a mandate to deliver accurate and balanced reporting worldwide.
While the ruling may be challenged, the court has, for now, made it clear that USAGM must restore the broadcaster and bring its workforce back within the given timeframe.
