Longtime broadcaster Ed Schultz died of natural causes Thursday, July 5, at his home in Washington, D.C., according to RT America, where he was the host of "The News With Ed Schultz." He was 64.

"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, a local and national radio and television personality who never shied away from controversy, got his start as a sports broadcaster for Fargo-Moorhead television stations in the early 1980s, including time as sports director at WDAY-TV. He eventually moved to talk radio, including WDAY radio, dominating the local airwaves as a conservative firebrand in the 1990s.

However, he later said his views changed and he became a Democrat.