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 13, 1995 - Paul Thatcher, member of state professional sports task force; Dee Long, state representative; and Michael Danielson, author and Princeton professor, discuss professional sports versus public dollars. The guests also answer listener questions.
October 12, 1995 - Cal Haworth, Minnesota chair of MADD, discusses the state laws in place for drunk driving and concerns of court decisions in determining sentencing, especially for public figures.
September 22, 1995 - An MPR retrospective of the late former Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich. Highlights various reports, speeches, interviews and commentary. Following the MPR radio scrapbook, Hy Berman, history professor at University of Minnesota, discusses Perpich and his political legacy.
September 21, 1995 - Midday presents a Twin Cities speech by Pulitzer Prize winning author Anna Quindlen entitled Living Out Loud: Life in the 1930s. She spoke as part of a family lecture series given at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
September 21, 1995 - A special Talk of Minnesota program, reflecting on the life and times of Rudy Perpich, the former Minnesota governor, who passed away earlier in the afternoon. Program presents reports from the capitol, and commentary from individuals who knew Perpich. MPR’s Gary Eichten also takes comments from listeners.
September 20, 1995 - Matthew Little, former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP; Curt Johnson, chair of the Metropolitan Council and Minneapolis State; and Larry Pogemiller, Minnesota state senator, discuss the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's lawsuit against the state of Minnesota involving school desegregation.
September 19, 1995 - U.S. Senator Rod Grams discusses family tax/social security tax credit plan being debated in the U.S. Senate Chamber.
September 13, 1995 - Lynn Blewett, director of Health & Economics at Minnesota Health department, explains provision in Medicare plan being formulated in Congress that would create tax exempt saving accounts, partially funded by government.
September 4, 1995 - A Midday interview with Barb Frey, executive director of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, while she is in Beijing for the UN Women's Conference.
August 30, 1995 - On this special Midday live broadcast at the Minnesota State Fair, Host Gary Eichten talks with a NASA shuttle astronaut and University of Minnesota astronomy professor about the latest in space exploration and shuttle missions.