Broadcast career
Springer was hired as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT, which at the time had the lowest-rated news program. Later, having been named primary news anchor and managing editor, he sought a broadcast catchphrase in the model of other well-known newsmen. With the help of some others at WLWT, he created his signature line: "Take care of yourself, and each other." Within two years he was Cincinnati's number-one news anchor, along with partner Norma Rashid. He garnered ten local Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries, which were frequently satirized by local radio personality Gary Burbank. Those commentaries would eventually become his "Final Thought" on The Jerry Springer Show. Springer would remain commentator at WLWT until January 1993. He resided in Loveland, Ohio, during this time.
In 1997, the Chicago-based NBC-owned station WMAQ-TV hired Springer to serve as a news commentator. However, this proved to be unpopular among viewers, as it resulted in the resignation of long-time news anchors Ron Magers and Carol Marin due to Springer's talk show. After performing only two commentaries, Springer resigned as commentator.
Jerry Springer debuted on September 30, 1991. It began as a straight-laced politically-oriented talk show, a longer version of Springer's news commentaries. Guests on the show included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.
In early 1994, Springer and his new producer, Richard Dominick, revamped the show's format to boost ratings. The show became more successful as it turned towards sensationalism. Most guests were now everyday people confronted on a television stage by a spouse or family member's adultery, sexuality, gender identity, prostitution, hate group membership, or other controversial activities or situations. These confrontations were often promoted by scripted shouting or violence on stage. The retooled show received high ratings and much press attention. By 1998, it was more popular than The Oprah Winfrey Show in many cities, and was reaching around 8 million viewers.
On July 10, 2002, the sons of guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz, who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on a May 2000 episode with his girlfriend, filed suit in Sarasota County, Florida, against Springer, his producers, and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder". Ultimately, the estate of Campbell-Panitz dropped all monetary claims and the show agreed to waive its claims for malicious prosecution against the personal representative of the estate and his counsel.
The 2001 satirical musical Jerry Springer: The Opera was inspired by Springer and his talk show. For the New York City performances of the work at Carnegie Hall, Springer was portrayed by Harvey Keitel. The show won four Laurence Olivier Awards for its run on London's West End.
In 2005, a UK version of the show aired on Britain's ITV network, titled The Springer Show. A subdued and more tongue-in-cheek version of the US show, it beat its rival Trisha Goddard five to one in the ratings.
The VH1 "celebreality" series The Springer Hustle, which examined the production of Jerry Springer, premiered in April 2007.
In April 2015, Springer debuted The Jerry Springer Podcast on his website, JerrySpringer.com. He later partnered with Westwood One to stream the podcast. It was also broadcast in the UK on Talkradio, on Sundays at midnight. Springer was the second American talk show host to travel to Cuba (after Conan O'Brien) for The Jerry Springer Podcast. The podcast ended in 2022.
On July 26, 2018, Jerry Springer aired its final episode in syndication after 27 seasons, before it began airing reruns on The CW on September 10.
Springer debuted a new courtroom show, Judge Jerry, on September 9, 2019. The show gave him the opportunity to host a more "grown-up" program and to use his law school education. On March 9, 2022, the series was canceled after three seasons with its final episode airing on August 22, 2022.
Springer hosted America's Got Talent on NBC for its second and third seasons, replacing Regis Philbin, before leaving to concentrate on other projects and was replaced by Nick Cannon.
From January 17, 2005, to December 5, 2006, Springer hosted Springer on the Radio, a liberal talk show on Cincinnati's WCKY-AM. He did the show from the Clear Channel studios in Kenwood, Ohio on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in Chicago (where his television show taped at the time) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Air America Radio syndicated the program for most of the show's run. In 2007, Springer also cameoed in a handful of episodes of the George Lopez Show.
He hosted Miss World in 2000 and 2001 and the Miss Universe 2008. He was also the guest host for WWE Raw on February 15, 2010, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Springer also hosted The Price Is Right Live!.
From 2010 to 2015, Springer hosted a dating game show called Baggage, which aired on GSN.
In July 2012, he hosted ''Price is Right Live!'' in Vancouver's Boulevard Casino. He hosted the show at Jack Cincinnati Casino in 2018.
From January 2014, Springer hosted the Investigation Discovery series Tabloid.
He hosted The Adam Carolla Show on April 25, 2014, where he sat in for Adam Carolla.
Springer guest hosted the 22nd-season premiere episode of WWE Raw on September 8, 2014, in an attempt to conduct an intervention with The Bella Twins.
Springer hosted the show Jerry Springer Presents WWE Too Hot For TV on the WWE Network in 2015.
After a few years of his US talk show being aired in the UK, ITV approached Springer, who temporarily co-hosted This Morning with Judy Finnigan in March 1999 and again in 2000. In summer 1999, ITV made 12 episodes of the UK-based version of the series, Jerry Springer UK, filmed at the same studios as his US show.
In September 1999, Springer made a pilot for a David Letterman-style talk show for ITV called Jerry Springer on Sunday. The show received good reviews and ratings; a further four episodes were commissioned to be broadcast in May 2000. Five were broadcast during May and June 2000 under the name Springer.
The series was picked up by Channel 5 and renamed Late Night with Jerry Springer. Two series were made in 2000 and 2001 with 16 episodes. While working for Channel 5 In 2001, he was the host of the UK version of Greed, and a stand in host for The Wright Stuff. On April 16, 2006, Springer was the guest host for the third-season premiere of The Friday Night Project for Channel 4 and guest hosted Have I Got News for You on December 12, 2008. In 2007, he signed on to host Nothing But the Truth, the UK version of the Colombian game show Nada más que la verdad.
Springer covered the 2016 United States presidential election for ITV's Good Morning Britain.
In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he guest hosted three episodes of the BBC One's early-evening talk show The One Show with Welsh TV host Alex Jones.
