RFA goes under the hammer

It seems that Radio Free Asia is unlikely ever to return to an operational state. It ceased operations on 31 October 2025 and the studios and offices in Washington DC are being cleared, with an auction of all equipment taking place. The sale is being handled by Rasmus, and the auction description reads: “A Washington, DC, international television and radio broadcast network is making a significant reduction in its operations and will liquidate all excess television, radio, studio production, field production, switching, broadcast, control room, editing, and equipment. 1000s of items of late model and new in box, high-end video, radio, dataroom, M&E, office, and technology equipment. 4 floors, multi-day phased removal. Assets will be professionally de-installed and available to the ground floor for easy removal.” 

Rasmus handled the liquidation of RT America’s Washington DC operation in the summer of 2024.

The RFA offices appear in an auctioneer’s video. The catalogue is online at https://rasmus.com/auctions/galIdtyncHUDPy2PyoGz/a/Radio-Station-Washington–DC. 

The auctioning of the entire RFA Washington DC facility has happened remarkably rapidly, given the relatively recent ending of operations. It is unclear whether this has been initiated by RFA itself – as an entity that is not a “wholly-owned” USAGM operation, or by USAGM pulling the plug on the broadcaster and taking the revenue generated by the sale.  

Whichever the case, it seems highly unlikely that the organisation will ever be heard and seen again as to restart operations will require the setting up of an entirely new broadcast centre. The tens of millions of US tax dollars that have been invested in RFA over its almost 30 years existence have arguably been squandered with RFA’s closure and dismantling. The auction will generate only a fraction of the amounts spent on equipping the station over recent years. 

Separately, it has been reported that the USAGM transmitting station in the Philippines is to be reactivated and will be carrying Radio Filipinas World Service from 1 December. The transmitting station was used for VoA and RFA broadcasts including Korean, Cambodian, Lao, Burmese, Khmer and Tibetan language services, as well as for Radio Filipinas, until it was switched off earlier this year.