Washington: Radio Free Asia (RFA) has announced the suspension of its remaining news content production due to fiscal challenges and funding uncertainties, marking the first such occurrence in its 29-year history. The decision aims to conserve limited resources and keep open the possibility of resuming operations if consistent funding is secured.

According to Radio Free Asia, the organization is taking steps to close down overseas bureaus and formally lay off furloughed staff, providing them with severance packages. Many employees have been on unpaid leave since March, following the U.S. Agency for Global Media's (USAGM) unlawful termination of RFA's Congressionally appropriated grant.

In the period since the grant termination, despite a more than 90% reduction in editorial staff through layoffs and furloughs, RFA has continued to fulfill its Congressional mandate to deliver accurate and timely news to audiences in Asia's restrictive media environments. This was made possible by a preliminary injunction from the United States Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, which USAGM has appealed. RFA's commitment to quality reporting has been recognized with awards, including two Edward R. Murrow awards and a Gracie Award. While services like RFA Uyghur and Tibetan have already ceased, others such as RFA Burmese, Khmer, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and Vietnamese will stop operations on October 31.