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.
August 27, 2009 - On the first day of the 2009 Minnesota State Fair, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DFL-MN., joins Midday at to discuss current events and answer questions from the audience.
October 1, 2009 - Julian Bond, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a civil rights activist, reflects on the state of the civil rights movement now that a black man is president of the United States. Bond also answers listener questions.
November 19, 2009 - On this Midday, an episode of “Ask the President.” Bill Kling joins Midday host Gary Eichten in the studio to answer listener questions about MPR and about the future of news.
February 24, 2010 - Award-winning Minnesota history author Dave Kenney discusses the history of the Boy Scouts in central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Kenney is out with a book on the subject, entitled Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council. Kenney also answers listener questions.
February 26, 2010 - A day after President Barack Obama gathered top lawmakers in Washington for a bipartisan summit on health care, former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger, chair of the National Institute of Health Policy at University of St. Thomas, assesses the ideas and accomplishments of the all-day session.
March 1, 2010 - As part of the Meet the Candidates series, Midday”s Gary Eichten interviews three Independence Party candidates for governor to discuss issues facing the state and take questions from listeners. Guests are Rob Hahn, Tom Horner, and John Uldrich.
March 22, 2010 - Two national experts explain all the details and broader policies of the health insurance reform bill passed and expected to sign by President Obama.
April 1, 2010 - Homelessness is on a sharp rise in Minnesota as unemployment and foreclosures have forced people out of permanent housing. The St. Paul-based Wilder Research survey counted nearly 9,500 homeless people - up more than 20% from the 2006 count. Greg Owen, consulting scientist at Wilder Research and director of the new homelessness study; and Laura Kadwell, director for the state program Ending Long-term Homelessness, discuss the survey results and answer listener questions.
April 2, 2010 - Doug Grow, longtime sportswriter and author of We're Gonna Win, Twins!, joins Midday’s Gary Eichten to talk about the history of the Minnesota Twins. Grow is a longtime Star Tribune sportswriter and columnist, who now writes for MinnPost.
April 19, 2010 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Justice Alan Page, and wife Diane Sims Page, about the importance of educational achievement. The two co-founded the Page Education Foundation to help students of color.