Chicagoist’s Karl Klockars talked with Jerry Springer about his TV show, his radio career, and his take on politics. Read the whole interview here.

In the interview, Springer claims that he wants to bring his TV show back to what it once was:

The stories have to have some substance, even if the guests were over the top. So we’ve been doing that, and so far it looks like people are liking it. There’s a growth every day. So I’m really happy with that. That’s one thing about this business – you can tell day to day what people like, what your audience likes. Because you test it every day. So I’m happy with the direction the show is going in.

However, in the next breath, he acknowledges that the show is, and will always remain, crazy:

It’s still really crazy – the only difference is we don’t do the circus acts any more. In terms of the substance, it’s as crazy as ever, because that’s what the show is about. We’re paid to do a show about outrageous people, or people involved in outrageous situations. So the rule is that it has to be outrageous and it has to be truthful. If it doesn’t meet both standards, we’re not allowed to put it on.

Huh?