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.
November 1, 1991 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Rich Naistat of the National Weather Service on record-setting snowfall from Halloween blizzard. Segment also includes numerous reports on the impact of storm throughout Minnesota, including shutdown of bus service, parking restrictions, road conditions, travel restrictions, power outages, and high winds.
November 6, 1991 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews naturalist about how animals are adapting to to massive snowstorm. The different experiences of small birds, squirrels, pheasants, and deer are detailed. Not surprisingly, hibernators are the big winners.
November 6, 1991 - Karen Clark, Minnesota House representative from District 60A, discusses legislative efforts at State Capitol to secure gay rights statewide. Clark also comments on local efforts; notably the gay and lesbian rights ordinance repeal in St. Paul.
November 6, 1991 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews Choua Lee after she wins seat on Saint Paul School Board. Lee discusses her desire to focus on bilingual studies, ESL programs, and parental involvement.
November 14, 1991 - An interview with Joan Ruth Growe, who ran for U.S. Senate seat in 1984, on how women running have more hurdles than there fellow male candidates.
November 18, 1991 - MPR’s Gary Eicthen interviews Ann DeGroot, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Community Action Council, about the public campaign efforts to have state legislature expand the Minnesota Human Rights Act to include gay and lesbians. DeGroot says educating is a key in developing support and building allies in the larger Minnesota community.
November 26, 1991 - A commentary that the Twin Cities have become more of an “indoor” city. Reasons behind the thought include the skyway system infrastructure and “snowbird” Minnesotans escaping to the south in the winter months.
November 26, 1991 - An unknown interviewee reflects on the sports life of Bob Johnson, a famous hockey player and coach, who passed away on November 26th, 1991. Johnson’s impact on the sport spanned decades and included high school, college, NHL, and Olympics.
December 31, 1991 - All Things Considered’s Gary Eichten completes a phone interview with Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), who is in prison after first degree murder convictions in the deaths of two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. Peltier states he did not kill them and speaks about appeals process.
January 1, 1992 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews former Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy, who discusses his 1992 presidential campaign.