MPR News editor-at-large and retired host Gary Eichten has worn many hats during his 40-plus-year career at Minnesota Public Radio, including news director, special events producer and station manager. He has 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.
A graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, Eichten began his career at Minnesota Public Radio as a student announcer at KSJR (Minnesota Public Radio's first station). Among the honors Eichten has received during his career is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting award for best local news program. He also assisted in the development of two Peabody award-winning documentaries. In 2007, he was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting's Hall of Fame. Eichten has also been awarded the prestigious 2011 Graven Award by the Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board for his contribution to excellence in the journalism profession.
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.
September 29, 2009 - America faces difficult choice in Afghanistan, to send more troops there or not. The U.S. has been in Afghanistan nearly eight years, and yet the situation there is increasingly unstable. With debate brewing over further troop increase, Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with U.S. Representative Tim Walz about the path that lies ahead. Walz also answers listener questions.
September 4, 2009 - Garrison Keillor, host of the radio show A Prairie Home Companion, joins Gary Eichten at the Minnesota State Fair for this Midday program. They take questions from the crowd and talk about many topics including but not limited to Keillor’s books, money, and comedy.
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.
August 26, 2009 - Midday presents the documentary “Divorced Kid: Stories from the 1970's divorce revolution.” MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports on the long-term impact of the divorce explosion in U.S. during the 1970’s.
August 19, 2009 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with U.S. Representative Tim Walz, who represents Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Walz is holding a town meeting on health care reform in Mankato. In advance of that meeting, he joins Midday to talk about healthcare reform and other issues facing Congress.
August 3, 2009 - A leader in both football and teaching, former Vikings offensive guard Randall McDaniel joins Midday to talk about his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and about being an educator in Minnesota. McDaniel also answers listener questions.
July 17, 2009 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with sports commentator Howard Sinker about the Minnesota Twins season thus far, as the second half of 2009 Major League Baseball season begins. Sinker sees a team with much more potential than their American League standing.
July 2, 2009 - MPR’s Mark Zdechilk presents the MPR Special Report “Minnesota’s Unending Senate Battle - Al Franken's Road to the Senate.” Chapters include The Campaign, The Election, and The Recount Trial.
June 24, 2009 - Thomas Friedman speaks about crowded planet.Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Minnesota native, Thomas Friedman spoke at St. Paul RiverCentre about the big issues facing an interconnected global population, and the ways America can lead a green revolution in the 21st century.