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.
February 27, 2009 - Essayist and poet Bill Holm, who was nationally known for his distinctly Minnesotan writing, died at age 65. On this program, Midday features some highlights from Holm's many public appearances and rememberences from those who knew him.
March 2, 2009 - Lawmakers at the Minnesota Capitol continue to work on the state budget, trying to solve a projected $4.8 billion deficit. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he expects the hole to get even bigger when a new forecast is released this week. Former Republican Gov. Al Quie and former DFL Sen. Majority Leader Roger Moe offer advice on how to deal with that deficit.
March 3, 2009 - Gov. Tim Pawlenty holds a news conference this morning to answer questions about the new revenue forecast and projected budget deficit of $4.5 billion. We have live coverage, plus analysis of the new numbers from two political observers.
March 5, 2009 - Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest, teacher, and author. She is widely recognized as one of America's most eloquent preachers. Ordained an Episcopal priest in 1984, she holds the Harry R. Butman Chair in Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in Georgia and is adjunct professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary. She is the author of twelve books on faith and spirituality, including "Leaving Church" and "An Altar in the World." She lectures on preaching at Yale, Princeton, and Duke Universities and is a regular columnist for The Christian Century. She spoke before an audience at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Her speech was titled, "Downtime: The Sacred Art of Stopping".
March 16, 2009 - On President James Madison's birthday, freedom of information and openness in government are celebrated nationally. This year, in Minnesota, the John Finnegan Award is given to longtime citizen activist Rich Neumeister for his work to increase government accountability, access to information, and privacy rights. Rich Neumeister follows privacy and open government issues at the State Capitol. He won this year's John R. Finnegan award for open government.
March 17, 2009 - Two senior statesmen reflect on public life and civic engagement. Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger discuss their experiences in public life and the need for civic engagement.
March 24, 2009 - David Plotz, editor of the online magazine Slate, read every word of the Old Testament. He chronicles the experience in "Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible." Plotz is an award-winning journalist and the head editor of Slate, the world's largest online magazine. He's been writing for Slate since the popular site launched in 1996. He's also a contributor to the New York Times Magazine, Harper's, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post. He spoke recently at the Minneapolis Central Library as part of the library's "Talk of the Stacks" series.
March 26, 2009 - As Minnesota lawmakers spar over the state's education budget, Midday broadcasts education experts Kati Haycock and Rudy Crew discussing what Minnesota can do to close the achievement gap between white students and students of color. At Minnesota Meeting, a project of The Minneapolis Foundation, the two nationally recognized experts discuss this issue.
April 13, 2009 - Governor Tim Pawlenty joins Gary Eichten in the MPR studio to answer questions about the state's $4.6 billion budget shortfall, and other key issues being debated in the 2009 legislative session.
April 14, 2009 - Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House; and Larry Pogemiller, the Minnesota Senate majority leader, discuss the $4.6 billion budget shortfall and other key issues being negotiated in the final five weeks of the 2009 Legislative session.