Longtime radio and cable news broadcaster Alan Colmes is dead at the age of 66 after reportedly battling a brief illness.

Fox News moments ago reported on Colmes’ death with a segment narrated by Sean Hannity, who paired with Colmes for years on the venerable talk show Hannity & Colmes.

Hannity identified his old colleague as, “one of the nicest, kindest, and most generous people,” while his family released a statement a short time ago that read in part:

He was a great guy, brilliant, hysterical, and moral. He was fiercely loyal, and the only thing he loved more than his work was his life with [wife] Jocelyn [Elise Crowley]. He will be missed. The family asks for privacy during this very difficult time.

Very sad to report our friend and colleague @AlanColmes has passed away. — Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) February 23, 2017

Bill Hemmer of Fox News concluded the segment moments ago by sharing some of his own personal experiences with Colmes, adding that despite any idealogical differences the liberal commentator may have had with many of his Fox colleagues, his friendship was deeply treasured by all. Colmes continued to appear regularly on Fox, hosting a “Versus” segment where he took on the deepest political issues of the day. He also maintained editing responsibilities for alan.com, a site devoted to the cable news landscape and political status quo, complete with a daily newsletter and hard-hitting radio show segments.

In the wake of Colmes’s death, numerous figures have taken to social media in order to share their sadness over today’s news.

This news is breaking and we will update as we learn more.

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