‘Springer’ Show Will Scuttle Skirmishes

The “Jerry Springer Show,” which has become a ratings hit and a cultural phenomenon due to the hair-pulling, chair-throwing brawls among its guests, has had its punches pulled.

Just when the show was celebrating its victory this week as the top-rated syndicated series and the No. 1 talk show--even beating long-standing talk show champ Oprah Winfrey--the producer and distributor of “Springer” abruptly announced that they will be cutting back on the trademark violent fights.

Executives said that confrontations on the show will become more verbal and less physical. Guests who insist on punching will be kicked off the show. And parents will be warned in advisories to not let their children watch the program.

The restrictions stop just short of banning the fights, but executives said altercations would be edited out of broadcasts.

The moves mark an abrupt reversal of the position taken by Springer and the show’s producers, who had previously been unapologetic about the show’s tone and battles.

In a story published today in The Times Calendar section, Springer and USA Networks Studios executives pointed to the show’s high ratings as a defense against the controversy that has clouded “Springer” for more than three years. That story was reported and printed before Friday’s late announcement.

The changes, said USA Networks Studios executives, were made to address numerous recent concerns made by viewers and stations airing “Springer” about the show’s violent nature. Legislators have labeled the program as being close to pornography, and parents have complained about children being exposed to the brawls and the inflammatory, sexually charged topics.

USA Networks Studios executives said the decision to alter “Springer” was part of a marketing strategy that had long been under discussion. Henry Schleiff, executive vice president in charge of talk shows for USA Networks Studios, maintained that the program’s popularity would continue and grow without the brawls.

“This show has a lot of bells and whistles without the sole emphasis on the physical. What works is the confrontation--not the physical, but the emotional confrontation,” he said.

However, staffers and others associated with “Springer” were caught off guard by the decision, particularly since the program is riding a wave of unprecedented popularity that has turned Springer into a national media sensation. Industry insiders also indicated that the absence of the fights would have a negative effect on ratings, since many “Springer” fans have said they tune in for the fisticuffs.

Springer and executive producer Richard Dominick were “unbelievably supportive” of the changes, Schleiff said. Neither man could be reached for comment Saturday.

The decision to refocus the show reportedly came from USA Networks Studios owner Barry Diller, who has expressed discomfort in recent interviews about the nature of Springer’s program. As its popularity has grown, “Springer” has come under more scrutiny.

Stations that had scheduled the program in the afternoon, when children could watch, were succumbing to pressure to reschedule the show, and probing “Springer” pieces are planned for “Dateline NBC” and Rolling Stone magazine.

In The Times’ Calendar story, Springer denounced critics of the show, and said he had no problem with children watching the fights and the racy contents.

Although he characterized the program as “a silly little show,” Springer also called it “a morality play” where the good guys are cheered and the bad guys are booed. He and Dominick denied that guests were encouraged to fight, although other observers have argued to the contrary.

Also in that story, Steve Rosenberg, president of television distribution for USA Networks Studios, said, “Everyone has a sense of responsibility and sensibility. We have to take a good, hard look at what people see, but we also look at the numbers that say a large part of the population likes what the show is doing right now.”

But by Friday, USA Networks Studios’ tune had changed.

“We are reasonably good corporate citizens, and we do listen to constructive criticism,” Schleiff said. “When we think there’s a valid point, we’ll adjust our show. There was enough argument about the concerns over the physical nature of the show that we felt it was something we should look into.”

Added Schleiff: “The show is still going to be on the edge. It’s still going to be confrontational and in-your-face. We will tell stories of absurd human nature. We don’t need to be physical to dominate the marketplace.”

However, insiders have said that remains to be seen.

Since “Springer” has about 40 shows that have been taped and not yet aired, viewers will probably not notice a great deal of difference in “Springer” until the middle or end of the May sweeps --a key period stations use to determine local advertising rates.

The timing of the altered “Springer” show has another irony: The sequel to Springer’s best-selling “Too Hot for TV” video, featuring more uncensored fights and antics on the show, is scheduled for release this week.