In 1970, Springer ran for Congress, but failed to unseat incumbent Republican Donald D. Clancy, although he had 44% of the vote. He had previously spearheaded the effort to lower the voting age, and had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of ratification of the 26th Amendment.
Springer was elected to the Cincinnati city council in 1971. He was forced to resign in 1974 after admitting to hiring a prostitute. The episode was uncovered when a police raid on a Fort Wright, Kentucky "massage parlor" unearthed a check Jerry Springer had written for its "services". Jerry Springer came clean at a press conference. His honesty helped him win back his seat in 1975. In 1977, he was chosen to serve one year as mayor by the City Council. Springer was also alluded to in a number of episodes of the television series WKRP in Cincinnati, but never appeared.
His broadcast career started while he was still Mayor of Cincinnati with album-oriented rock radio station WEBN FM, noted for its laid-back and irreverent radio format. The station featured commentaries by Springer under the banner "The Springer Memorandum". The popularity of these commentaries helped launch his broadcasting career.
In 1982, having not sought reelection to the city council in 1981, Springer failed in his bid to win the Democratic primary for governor of Ohio coming in third behind former Lt. Gov. Richard F. Celeste, who won the primary and general elections, and Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown. He was hired as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT TV, which had, at the time, the lowest-rated news program. As commentator, he ended each segment with what became his catch phrase: "Take care of yourself, and each other". Within two years he was their number one news anchor, and for five years, the most popular one in the city, garnering 10 local Emmy Awards in the process. It was a position he held until January 1993.
The Jerry Springer Show debuted on 20 September 1991. It was developed by WLWT-TV to replace its Phil Donahue Show. It started as a politically-oriented talk show, a longer version of Springer's commentaries. Guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.
The need for higher ratings forced him to revamp the format. It became more and more successful as it became more and more lowbrow. It included outrageous situations like adulterers, post-op-transexuals, paternity tests, the Ku Klux Klan and other hate based groups, and, in one of the most famous episodes, an exposee of shock rock featuring El Duce from The Mentors and GWAR. Since 1999, the show has adhered to a no-violence rule: guests can no longer fight, use foul language, or perform lewd or obscene acts.
Though under some harsh criticism, Springer has always maintained that he has no control over the guests. If they were making up their story to get their fifteen minutes of fame, he and his producers knew nothing of it. He showed outtakes in which a lesbian couple was caught lying about their affair.
On 10 July 2002, the sons of guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz, who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on an episode with his girlfriend, filed suit in Sarasota County against Springer, his producers and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder."
In 2005 a UK version was shown on ITV1 entitled The Springer Show. It beat its talkshow rival Trisha Goddard five to one in the ratings.
--Wikipedia
UNITED STATES