The Voice of America has announced it will end broadcasts in Bulgarian, Estonian, Czech, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Slovenian on 27 February 2004. In addition, programmes in Ukrainian and Armenian are being reduced. VOA Director David Jackson says the move follows cuts by Congress in funding for the services under a Bush administration proposal.
Mr Jackson said VOA must shift its focus to “new audiences and new priorities”. He says he is sad the agency must say good-bye to loyal colleagues, but that he is proud that their professionalism and dedication to freedom and truth have played an important role in spreading democracy.