For many who have listened to the airwaves over the previous decades, Gary Eichten’s voice is synonymous to Minnesota Public Radio. The retired MPR News editor-at-large Eichten has worn many hats during his 40-plus-year career at MPR, including news director, special events producer, and station manager. He routinely served as host for Minnesota Public Radio's live-special events news coverage, and has hosted all of the major news programs on Minnesota Public Radio, including Midday (which he hosted for more than 20 years!).
It all began on April Fool’s Day in 1967, when Eichten started his career at Minnesota Public Radio as a student announcer at Collegeville’s KSJR, MPR’s first station. He became the station’s one-man news department and quickly found that turning up his headphones forced him to speak more intimately, which gave him that radio voice.
In the fall of 1992, Eichten moved from hosting the regional late-afternoon edition of All Things Considered to hosting Midday. In his new role, Eichten personified the art of hosting, a tradition begun by the program’s previous host, Bob Potter. It also solidified Gary’s distinct tone and insightful questions that listeners came to hear as being MPR.
As Midday host, Eichten let his guests answer those questions and sought to understand their responses. With daily early morning research, his respectful but direct on-air style, and assistance from his long-time producer Sara Meyer, Eichten found himself making memorable radio…from a poignant sign-off of the original regional “All Things Considered,” a live on-air moment with a contentious Governor Ventura, to even a pledge drive.
Among the honors Eichten received during his MPR career is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for Best Local News Program and the prestigious 2011 Graven Award by the Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board for his contribution to excellence in the journalism profession. He also assisted in the development of two Peabody award-winning documentaries. In 2007, Eichten was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting's Hall of Fame.
Simply put, Mr. Eichten is a Minnesota treasure, on and off the air.
This large curation is indicative of the breadth of that work.
July 11, 1968 - A conversation with Eugene McCarthy at St. Johns, in Collegeville. Gary Eichten and Pat Smith asked McCarthy questions as he was taking a break from his presidential campaign.
October 13, 1969 - Events, Issues and Ideas program, with news reporting on Richard Nixon's response to protesting and demonstrations, Bill Tilton and student protests, amongst other news topics.
January 3, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on results of Crime Commission report and interviews Douglas Heidenreich, a member of committee that put study together. Heidenreich details the study’s purpose.
January 4, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on efforts by some residents in the city of Monticello to get community to not smoke. It has been named the ‘D-Day’ campaign.
January 16, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson’s State of the State address, with the "energy crisis" being Anderson’s highest priority and support for a separate Department of Energy to address this issue. He also supports the federal 55 MPH bill to save on gasoline usage and Campaign finance reform.
February 1, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on criticism over the U.S. government efforts in supporting Vietnam vets. Topics include concerns on education, jobs, and medical care. Eichten interviews Tom Windseck, director of Veteran’s Affairs at the University of Minnesota; Frank Momson, state adjutant of American Legion; and John O’Neill of the VFW.
February 6, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on Minnesota State Senate vote against the “Ban the Can” bill. In debate before the vote, bill author Win Borden stated he wants an environmental rights bill to address jobs lost due to environmental protection measures; Senator Arnie Ulland claimed the bill is discriminatory as it doesn’t mention wine or whiskey bottlers or out-of-state suppliers; and Senator Robert North remarked that despite talk about cleaning up the environment and saving natural resources, no action is taken and all we get is rhetoric.
February 27, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on caucus results in relation to abortion rights debate.
March 1, 1974 - With the U.S. Supreme Court Miller v. California decision leaving communities to determine what is and is not obscene, MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on the Minnesota Supreme Court decision on obscenity standards, guidelines, and how this will affect pornography business.
March 4, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on Minnesota State Senator Allan Spear's no-fault divorce bill. Spear sees it as is a compromise measure, which only deals with grounds for divorce. Traditional grounds replaced by "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" and other terms also changed.