Jerry Springer, the TV personality whose titular talk show helped launch a new and divisive era of reality television, has died, according to local news reports.
He was 79 and passed away at his home in Chicago. Born in 1944, Springer served as a Cincinnati city councilor and spent one year as its mayor.
Even during the peak of his political career, Springer developed a popular presence on local radio for his commentaries, which would prove crucial for launching him into television.
The Jerry Springer Show premiered in 1991. The program quickly ditched its initial focus on politics and moved on to the baser, more crude format that made it a national phenomenon.
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