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.
August 23, 2007 - On this special Midday program at the Minnesota State Fair, former Minnesota governors Arne Carlson, a Republican, and Wendell Anderson, a DFLer, reflect on current events and politics past and future.
August 17, 2007 - Catastrophes, such as the I-35W bridge collapse and 9/11, raise the question of how much the government should invest in the safety and security of its population. But safety may come at a cost too great for the government to bear. Panelists discussed the issue along with members of the public at Minnesota Public Radio's UBS Forum.
August 16, 2007 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten speaks with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who has had to realign his budget priorities to consider road maintenance and repair in the aftermath of the I-35W bridge collapse. Rybak hopes a Special Session at the State Capitol will help solve some of the city's financial burdens.
August 15, 2007 - Midday previews legislative hearings on new I-35W bridge reconstruction plans in a joint House-Senate transportation committee meeting, now that state transportation officials have unveiled a preliminary design. Gary Eichten talks with numerous legislators and takes listener calls.
August 14, 2007 - With recovery efforts taking place at the site of the I-35W bridge collapse, Midday discusses ambiguous loss and how to be resilient in the face of trauma. Guest Pauline Boss, University of Minnesota professor emeritus of Family Social Science, discusses loss involving missing loved ones.
August 10, 2007 - Can Minnesota afford the upkeep of roads and bridges? Broadcast: Midday, 08/10/2007, 11:00 a.m. With the wreckage of the I-35W bridge still slumped in the Mississippi River, options for rebuilding are beginning to surface. State and federal government now must deal with questions about the eroding state of our bridges and highways and how we pay for the upkeep of our infrastructure. Guest: Tim Penny: senior fellow, Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
August 9, 2007 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with Dr. John Hick, a physician at the Hennepin County Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine who was at the scene of the bridge collapse within minutes. He discusses the emergency response on the scene and in nearby hospitals.
August 8, 2007 - The collapse of the I-35W bridge has sparked widespread concern about how transportation infrastructure is maintained. Midday guests Phil Krinkie and Dee Long discuss how much we should spend on our roads, and where that money should come from. The two also answer listener call-in questions.
August 8, 2007 - A week after the I-35W bridge collapsed, Midday marks the occasion with a special one-hour broadcast featuring the latest on the investigation and the stories of the survivors. MPR’s Lorna Benson provides a remembrance of the 13 victims…Sherry Engebretsen; Artemio Trinidad-Mena; Julia Blackhawk; Patrick Holmes; Peter Hausmann; Paul Eickstadt; Greg Jolstad; Scott Sathers; Christina Sacorafas; Sadiya Sahal and two-year-old daughter Hannah; Vera Peck and her 20-year-old son Richard Chit.
August 7, 2007 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek about the I-35W bridge search and recovery efforts. The police officials also answer listener questions.