Springer died peacefully in Chicago after "a short illness," TMZ reports. The much-watched show has sometimes been called "trash TV" Springer ran unsuccessfully for the US Congress in 1970.
He was elected mayor of Cincinnati in the state of Ohio, in the north-east of the U.S., for a year in 1994. He died of pancreatic cancer, diagnosed a few months ago, other sources told TMZ. He is survived by his wife, three children and six grandchildren.