December 24, 1976 - Truman Capote reading his autobiographical story "A Christmas Memory" at the 1976 7th Annual UND Writer's Conference last March in Grand Forks. The conference title was New Journalism and the Novel.
December 28, 1976 - Excerpts from a hearing on welfare reform, held by U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. The hearing features testimony from welfare recipients and from several Minnesota community officials.
January 8, 1977 - In 1967 the legislature created the Metropolitan Council to address problems like waste disposal, transit, and urban sprawl. In this annual meeting of the Citizens League, members discuss the origins of the Metropolitan Council, where it is going, and the implications in other areas for this type of approach to regional government.
January 24, 1977 - Professor Sir Fred Hoyle, astronomer and a mathematician at Cambridge University in England, speaking at Nobel Conference XII - The Nature of the Physical Universe held at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Hoyle's speech was titled "An Astronomer's View of the Evolution of Man." Hoyle is also known for his books which popularize astronomy and for his science fiction stories. The speech broke for questions, which were introduced by the moderator.
January 25, 1977 - Governor Rudy Perpich's budget speech to the legislature. Included is analysis by MPR's legislative experts Debbie Gage and Bob Potter.
February 3, 1977 - Highlight speeches from second Minnesota Horizons conference, a seminar for state legislators, sponsored by the State Planning Agency and the Commission on Minnesota's Future, designed to show lawmakers and citizens some of the long-range problems the state faces. This part of conference focuses on population changes, and the effects it has on state. Speakers include: State demographer Hazel Reinhardt, on the nature of population change Ed Hunter, Deputy Director of the State Planning Agency, on the changing state labor force Jim Solum, Director of the Local and Urban Affairs Office of the Planning Agency, on housing needs in the next 10-15 years
February 4, 1977 - Conclusion of the second Minnesota Horizons conference, a seminar for state legislators, sponsored by the State Planning Agency and the Commission on Minnesota's Future, designed to show lawmakers and citizens some of the long-range problems the state faces. Twelve major areas were studied: Settlement, Population, Economy, Values, Energy, Transportation, Land use, Agriculture, Housing, Health, Education and Environment. Highlights from the final report is presented.
February 8, 1977 - Dr. Zacharie Clements, Associate Professor of Reading Education at University of Vermont, speaking on today's education problems and procedures. Speech given at a conference for school administrators in Fargo, North Dakota.
March 4, 1977 - MPR’s Kate Williams reports on a Women’s Rights Coalition press conference in response to a fire at a Highland Park Planned Parenthood facility.
March 5, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, John Boland, chairman of the Metropolitan Council, presents a "State of the Region" address on the occasion of the council's 10th anniversary.