Ex-Bush spokesman Tony Snow dies at 53

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- Former White House press secretary and Fox News Channel host Tony Snow died Saturday from cancer at age 53, the network said.

Snow retired as U.S. President George W. Bush's third press secretary last September, revealing he was battling colon cancer, and was succeeded by current White House press secretary Dana Perino.

Fox officials said Snow's 30-year media career included stints as a columnist, editor, TV anchor, radio show host and musician. He joined Fox in 1996 as the original anchor of "FOX News Sunday" and hosted "Weekend Live," as well as "The Tony Snow Show" radio program.

Snow was also an occasional fill-in host for Rush Limbaugh and was a speechwriter for former President George H.W. Bush.

"It's a tremendous loss for us who knew him, but it's also a loss for the country," Roger Ailes, chairman of FOX News, said Saturday about Snow, calling him a "renaissance man."