The White House’s Budget – Proposal for 2018 that was sent to the Congress plans to cancel “The Voice of America in Macedonian” and a decrease in the budget for “Radio Free Europe” in Macedonian.
This is the only cancellation and a reduction of assets of all services in the region. There aren’t any cancellations among the services in Serbian, Albanian or Bosnian. Macedonian is the only service that will suffer cancellations and reductions in both services.
The explanation that was provided in the document of the proposal budget states that the broadcasting of “Voice of America” will be decreased in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Rwanda, Burundi, and “an elimination of the programs are planned.” A potential merging of programs in Latin America and Cuba has also been also proposed.
Contrary from this proposal, there is an explanation that “Voice of America” has an increased number of followers on social networks and has increased influence. As such, Voice of America in Macedonian on the social networks has an increase of followers by 426%.
In relation to “Radio Free Europe” in Macedonia, a cut in the budget is estimated or a cut of the budget in the amount of 200.000 euros which will lead to decreasing the number of employees.
In the explanation provided for the service, it states that as a media network in the Balkans, RFE has provided an all-around coverage of the migrant crisis, the political crisis in Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and the influence of Russia in the region.
Still, the proposed US budget will yet have to be adopted by the Congress.
