Jerry Springer, one of the most influential talk show hosts of the 1990s, has died at the age of 79. Springer hosted his hit syndicated talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, for 27 years. He helped to revolutionize daytime talk shows and eventually became one of the format’s reigning figures. A spokesperson from the family tells TMZ Springer was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and this week took a turn for the worse. He died in his home near Chicago. Before becoming the king of daytime talk shows, he had a political career and ran a campaign for U.S. Congress in 1970 that didn’t pan out. Springer was elected to Cincinnati’s City Council in 1971 and became the city’s mayor in 1977, serving one term. Everett Collection However, Springer’s name didn’t become known worldwide until his self-titled TV show debuted in 1991. It initially focused on political...