Jerry Springer, who went from a somewhat outlandish political career to an indescribably outlandish broadcasting career with “The Jerry Springer Show,” which by the mid-1990s was setting a new standard for tawdriness on American television, turning the talk-show format into an arena for shocking confessions, adultery-fueled screaming matches, and not infrequent fistfights, died on April 27 in suburban Chicago. He was 79.

Mr. Springer began his political career by winning election to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971 and again in 1975, leading to his election as mayor of Cincinnati in 1977. He ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Ohio in 1982, made a career change and joined WLWT-TV as a news commentator.

“The Jerry Springer Show” began in 1991, but by 1993, he had turned up the shock value. His viewership peaked in 1998 at about eight million, ending in 2018 after more than 3,000 episodes.

In 2008, some students objected when Mr. Springer was invited to give the commencement address at Northwestern. “To the students who invited me — thank you,” he said. “To the students who object to my presence — well, you’ve got a point. I, too, would have chosen someone else.”