Midday, the longest running MPR news program, began as an extension of a daily half hour noon newscast called “Midday Report.” In September 1971 it expanded into various longer iterations, running weekdays, as well as encompassing some weekend programming. During this period, it was described as: “A program of news and information, a calendar of the day’s cultural events and the environmental report.” In January 1972 the name changed to Midday, and a month later it was described as: “A program of news, consumer and environmental information, discussion of public issues, and reports by the MPR and NPR news staffs."
Separate MPR public affairs programming were featured, such as Spectrum, Sportfolio, MPR Special, Insight, Weekend, Forum, and MPR’s Mainstreet Radio, among others. Local programming was also featured, including Westminster Town Hall Forum, Carlson Lecture Series, Minnesota Meeting, Minnesota Press Club, and Mondale Policy Forum. National outside programming included Options, Horizons, Communique, National Press Club, Chappaqua Lecture, Ford Hall Forum, Commonwealth Club, among others; and interview shows from the likes of Studs Terkel, William F. Buckley and Nancy Fushan.
As the years progressed, the “Interview” and “Call-in” would become a regular format for Midday. Beginning in the mid-1970’s until 1992, Midday was hosted by Bob Potter, after which, Gary Eichten became the permanent host. Many guest hosts also participated over the years. During the Eichten era, Midday became a daily two-hour program staple, running from 11AM-1PM. Midday ended its run in January 2012, when long-time host Eichten retired.
January 4, 2006 - A special Voices of Minnesota program, with Minnesota's highest-ranking elder statesman , Walter Mondale in the studio talking with MPR’s Gary Eichten.
February 8, 2006 - Midday presents a program highlighting two masters: one of the concerto, the other the cookbook. Voices of Minnesota visits two women who have risen to the top of two rather different fields: Minnesota Orchestra Concertmaster Jorja Fleezanis, and prolific cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas.
February 23, 2006 - As part of our "Meet the Candidates” series, MPR’s Mike Mulcahy talks with Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar. She is hoping to keep Mark Dayton's U.S. Senate seat in Democratic hands. She's already raised well over $2 million to finance her campaign, putting her second in the money race behind Republican contender Rep. Mark Kennedy. Klobuchar answers listener questions.
March 16, 2006 - Physicists like to theorize about all kinds of far out concepts: parallel universes, dark matter, alien civilizations and even time travel. Michio Kaku: Professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York. Kaku spoke about his book "Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions and the Future of the Cosmos," at the University of Minnesota Bookstore.
March 23, 2006 - What values and ideas have shaped the world's lone superpower?Jacob Needleman: Professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University, in a speech from the Westminster Town Hall Forum in downtown Minneapolis. Needleman has written more than a dozen books, including "The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders," "Two Dreams of America" and "The Wisdom of Love." He was also a contributor to the PBS program "A World of Ideas." Westminster Town Hall Forum
April 25, 2006 - In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Midday presents Voices of Minnesota interviews with two women who survived the Holocaust and ended up in Minnesota: Sabina Zimering and Lucy Smith.
May 5, 2006 - On Sunday May 7, 43 years after its first opening night, the Guthrie Theater will close its old building next to the Walker Art Center, and move to new digs on the Mississippi River. Hume Cronyn, a member of the Guthrie's first acting company, looked back on the theater's early days in a 2003 conversation with Guthrie artistic director Joe Dowling.
May 8, 2006 - The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case that will decide whether public school districts can assign students to schools based on race. Hundreds of districts across the nation try to enforce diversity because they worry schools will become segregated if they don't. Education reformer Jonathan Kozol talked about the increasing segregation of America's schools in May at Carleton College. Jonathan Kozol, the former teacher who has written about race, poverty and education for nearly four decades, spoke about what he calls the "restoration of apartheid schooling in America"
May 17, 2006 - In the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, President Bush acknowledged that the disaster laid bare the persistent racial inequalities in America, but Bush strongly rejected the idea that the federal government's response to Katrina was somehow racist. Social critic Michael Eric Dyson was not convinced. Michael Eric Dyson: Professor of humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, in the keynote address of The Blake School's annual Diversity Symposium on May 3 in Minneapolis. Dyson's latest book is "Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster."
June 1, 2006 - Former Minnesota governors Arne Carlson and Al Quie discuss the future of Republican Party.