.... ....Hi Fans of the Jerry Springer Show, I was born in an Underground Station in East Finchley, London, England. My parents were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. In January 1949, i emigrated to the United States from the United Kingdom with my family on the RMS Queen Mary. I earned my College Degree from Tulane University in 1965, majoring in political science. I earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Northwestern University in 1968. I then became a political campaign aide to Robert Kennedy; after Kennedy's assassination, I joined a Cincinnati law firm.
In 1970, I ran for Congress, but failed to unseat incumbent Republican Donald D. Clancy, although I had 44% of the vote. I 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. As part of the campaign, I appeared in a TV commercial where i admited that I once paid a prostitute for sex. I used this admission as way of proving that i wasn't afraid of the truth "even if it hurts". In 2006, the video began appearing around the globe.
I was elected to the Cincinnati city council in 1971. 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 i had written for its "services". I came clean at a press conference. My honesty helped me win back my seat in 1975. In 1977, I was chosen to serve one year as mayor by the City Council. I was also alluded to in a number of episodes of the television series WKRP in Cincinnati, but never appeared.My broadcast career started while i 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 me under the banner "The Springer Memorandum". The popularity of these commentaries helped launch my broadcasting career.
In 1982, having not sought reelection to the city council in 1981, I failed in my 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. I 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, I ended each segment with what became my catch phrase: "Take care of yourself, and each other". Within two years i 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 i 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 my commentaries. Guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.
I revamped the format of the show in order to garner higher ratings. The show became more and more successful as it became more and more lowbrow. It included outrageous situations like adulterers, post-op-transsexuals, 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.
Though under some harsh criticism, I have always maintained that i have no control over the guests. If they were making up their story to get their fifteen minutes of fame, my producers and I knew nothing of it. I showed outtakes in which a lesbian couple was caught lying about their affair.
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.
Outside of my show, I remain politically active, particularly in Ohio. I have contributed large sums to the Ohio Democratic Party and I was a member of the Ohio delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Many Ohio Democrats hoped that i would challenge George Voinovich, who ran for re-election to the United States Senate in 2004. However, I decided early on that my contractual obligation to my television program would prevent me from running for elective office in 2004.
I had expressed interest in running for office in 2006, but I have stated that should I decide to do so, I would resign from the television show at least 18 months prior to the election date, which would have been in May of 2005. It had been widely surmised that I am either considering a run for the United States Senate against incumbent Republican R. Michael DeWine, who is up for re-election in 2006 or a run for the Ohio governorship, where Republican Bob Taft would be barred from running due to term limits. Ultimately, however, I chose not to run for either the Senate or the governorship.
In 2004, the Ohio Democratic Party named me Democrat of the Year for my fund-raising efforts on behalf of the party.
I lived part time on Bird Key, in Sarasota County, Florida, where i occasionally help raise funds on behalf of the local Democratic Party. So there's a little aboiut me fo those not familiar with me. I have enjoyed bringing you rude and outrageous television right into your living rooms for many years and i really appreciate the Fan support. Thank You Everyone!
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visit my website at @ jerryspringer.com
