An American legislator has called for an end to federal funding for the Voice of America (VOA), reports Politix.

According to Rep. Matt Salmon from Arizona, in the current media environment, broadcasts from VOA, an official US government broadcast network, were no longer necessary.

Founded in 1942, VOA provides radio, television and online programming in 43 languages for an estimated global audience of 123 million people.

In a statement, Salmon said that VOA, which was originally commissioned to provide a “clear and effective presentation of the policies of the United States”, has veered from its original mission.

Salmon, who is a Republican, added: “VOA has fallen into the rut of merely mimicking other news outlets by simply reporting news.”

The VOA received about $200 million in the last fiscal year.