Alhurra TV announced on Saturday evening that it is suspending its television broadcasts due to the U.S. Information Agency’s refusal to disburse its funding approved by Congress.
Alhurra, a network of in Arabic Established by the U.S. government after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – said in a statement posted on its website that it deeply regrets having to make this forced decision.
The Middle East Broadcasting Network (MBN) was forced to suspend television broadcasts of #FreeChannel… We value our audience and look forward to returning to the tens of millions of viewers who tuned in to Alhurra every week. pic.twitter.com/Ny2GIETfUe
– Alhurra TV (@alhurranews) May 31, 2025
According to Alhurra, the US Congress on March 14 approved “continuation funding” for the Middle East Broadcasting Network through the end of fiscal year 2025, and the next day the U.S. International Media Agency notified MENA and other U.S. government-funded media organizations that the grant agreements were abruptly terminated.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced in March that it would stop all financial transfers to U.S. government-supported media outlets, part of a broad cost-cutting campaign led by the billionaire Elon Musk.
This action immediately froze VOA, although its staff filed lawsuits to restore funding approved by Congress.
Jeffrey Gedmin, CEO of the U.S.-funded Middle East Broadcasting Networks, which includes Alhurra and other smaller Arabic media outlets under its umbrella, said earlier that Alhurra will go off the air, but will seek to maintain digital updates through a staff reduced to “a few dozen.”
Alhurra says it reaches more than 30 million people every week in 22 countries.
Trump has a strained relationship with the media and has questioned the “firewall” promised by the media outlets he funds United States editorial independence.
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2025-05-31 23:35:00
