The U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia told hundreds of U.S.-based staff on Wednesday they will be put on unpaid leave from the end of this week after President Donald Trump's administration said it was terminating the outlet's grant funding.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media terminated the global news outlet’s federal grant Saturday, a move that would effectively gut its operation.

For the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Michael Abramowitz, the organization's director, said in a statement.