© Agence France-PresseEd Schultz
"We at RT America are sad to announce the passing of Edward Andrew Schultz. Ed Schultz passed quietly early morning on July 5 at his home in Washington, D.C. This announcement comes as a shock to all of us here at RT America," said the channel's official statement.
Schultz worked for decades as a prominent sports and political radio broadcaster in the upper Midwest. From 2009 to 2015, he hosted a show on MSNBC. He joined RT America in January 2016.
"The News with Ed Schultz" aired weeknights from Monday - Thursday at 8 PM Eastern Time. It was the flagship show at RT America and according to comScore was rated number one across the network throughout the first half of 2018.
We are devastated by the news of the sudden death of our brilliant anchor, one of the best TV-Journalists in America, Ed Schultz," said RT Editor in Chief Margarita Simonyan.
"The respect which Ed commanded among viewers and among his colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic is impossible to overstate. He was an unconditional patriot of his country, an honest man without compromise. When the witch-hunt against RT America began and it was forced to register as a foreign agent, Ed set an example for all of us, saying: 'Let them call me what they want, I am going to speak the truth no matter what," Simonyan added.
Ed Schultz's impact on the news industry will be felt for years. His work gave voice to workers and labor unions. To American workers, Schultz was a champion and someone they could count on for support. He spoke inconvenient truths when it came to foreign policy and America's role in the world. He wanted the United States to be a role model to the world and to its own citizens. He spoke out when he saw his country betraying that ideal. For this he faced constant pressure from the American mainstream news media.
Above all else, Schultz was an individual who created and maintained strong relationships with his viewers and his co-workers. He was universally praised by the hundreds of individuals he interviewed over the years for his ability to ask tough questions, think creatively, and give his opponents the benefit of the doubt. There were few in the news industry as respected as Ed Schultz.
"Ed was more than a colleague, he was a close and true friend. He was a big-time professional and a tough fighter. Between us I always called him a "gladiator." He would never give up; he was always a winner. He was tough on a lot of young journalists in RT America's newsroom; he was a mentor to a few," said RT America News Director Mikhail Solodovnikov. "My sincere condolences go out to his wife, family and all fans, who watched his amazing show every night. We lost one of the best and most honest journalistic voices in America. We lost a legend."
Comment: Our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues.