Goodbye Jerry

Trash TV talkshow host Jerry Springer is wrapping up his show.  

After 27 years and nearly 4,000 tawdry, shameless, idiotic episodes, it appears as if “The Jerry Springer Show” is finally going away. 

But what does that have to do with TV news? 

Well, for many of us in the business for far too long, we remember the Jerry Springer experiment that shook up Chicago television. 

Then WMAQ News Director Joel Cheatwood thought it would be a good idea to have Springer come on the newscast and give his commentaries. 

WMAQ Anchors Ron Magers and Carol Marin were horrified when it was announced. 

Marin up and quit and Magers left shortly there after. He went onto have a long and prosperous career across the street at WLS. 

Marin went to CBS and also tried her hand at print media. 

The Springer experiment lasted about a week. Viewers picketed the station and Springer was gone almost as quickly as he started. 

Now, it looks like the curtain will fall on Jerry Springer's show and while he leaves TV, the scars at WMAQ are still around 20 years later. 

Talk to any longtime Chicago viewer and they remember what Channel 5 did and how Carol and Ron left the station. 

Some would say that WMAQ has never recovered and WLS remains the top rated station in the Windy City. 

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