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THE CHANGES came a day after VoA director and his deputy were removed and the chief of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting stepped down. It followed the forced resignation of ex-Prez Donald Trump's handpicked choice to lead USAGM only two hours after Joe Biden took office.

Washington, Jan. 23: The heads of three federallyfunded international broadcasters were abruptly fired late Friday as the Biden administration completed a house-cleaning of Donald Trump-appointees at the US Agency for Global Media.

Two officials familiar with the changes said the acting chief of the USAGM summarily dismissed the directors of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks just a month after they had been named to the posts.

The changes came a day after the director of the Voice of America and his deputy were removed and the chief of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting stepped down. The firings follow the forced resignation of ex-President Donald Trump's handpicked choice to lead USAGM only two hours after Joe Biden took office on Wednesday.

Trump's USAGM chief Michael Pack had been accused by Democrats and others of trying to turn VOA and its sister networks into pro-Trump propaganda machines. Pack had appointed all of those who were fired on Thursday and Friday to their posts only in December.

The two officials said the acting CEO of USAGM, Kelu Chao, had fired Middle East Broadcasting Network director Victoria Coates, Radio Free Asia chief Stephen Yates and Radio Free Europe head Ted Lipien in a swift series of moves late Friday.

It was not immediately clear if any of those removed would try to contest their dismissals.