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.
March 10, 1994 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with hockey legend Lou Nanne about the state of hockey in the “State of Hockey.” Nanne says that other states have gotten better at producing players that excel, leading to fewer young Minnesotan athletes on collegiate and professional ice.
March 22, 1994 - Midday focuses on how public policy effects the use of alcohol. Allan Spear, Minnesota state senator; and George Hacker, director of the Alcohol Policies Project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, discuss legislation (both state and national) intended to stop alcohol abuse. Spear and Hacker also answer listener questions.
March 31, 1994 - Pat Forciea, communications communications consultant for the University of Minnesota Athetic Department, discusses Doug Woog’s college men’s hockey team being completely made up of Minnesotans.
March 31, 1994 - On this Midday program, the topic today is prisons. Guests Connie Roehrich, the warden of the Shakopee Correction Facility for Women; and Frank Wood, the state's corrections commissioner talk about Minnesota prison system. Roehrich and Wood also answer listener questions.
April 1, 1994 - A Midday interview with Esther Wattenberg on negative income tax and children in poverty, as political debate over welfare reform increases.
April 6, 1994 - Bill Dean, chair of Minnesotans for Light Rail Transit (LRT); and Lyle Wray, executive director of the Citizens League, express their views and answer listener questions about light rail transit in the Twin Cities.
April 14, 1994 - With the 50th anniversary of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party, Midday guests Betty Wilson and John Haynes share the history of the DFL party. They detail how the two separate political organizations came together in the state.
April 14, 1994 - On the birthday of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with Minnesota politician Eugene McCarthy about the history of the DFL in the state.
April 25, 1994 - Midday’s Gary Eichten interviews Rod Sando, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources commissioner, about Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians v. Minnesota court case.
May 2, 1994 - Clinical social worker Sheila Miller discusses her concerns on TV violence and the limited benefits of simply placing warning labels on television, broadcast, and cable programming.