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.
July 13, 1992 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with a member of the organization that hosts Movie and Music in the Park series at Loring Park on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.
July 9, 1992 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews member of The Rupert’s Orchestra about the closing of Rupert’s Nightclub in Golden Valley.
July 6, 1992 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with a researcher about a Sunday Star Tribune article regarding AIDS. Interviewee points out concerns on how the disease and those at risk is defined.
July 6, 1992 - Former Vice President Walter Mondale details what he sees as the importance of selecting a VP candidate in a presidential contest.
July 6, 1992 - Robert Astrup, president of the Minnesota Education Association (MEA), provides his thoughts on hiring men and minorities into lower grade teaching roles and about the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
July 3, 1992 - Local sports commentator Howard Sinker provides an optimistic assessment of the Minnesota Twins as the 1992 MLB season sets to enter the second half.
July 1, 1992 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews clinical professor Rick Kingston on the health concerns revolving around the train derailment in Duluth-Superior, in which benzine and other chemicals spilled into the Nemadji River and created a toxic gas cloud.
June 30, 1992 - On this special live Midday broadcast, MPR’s Dan Olson shares the latest on a Burlington Northern freight train derailment causing three tank cars to plunge into the Nemadji River. One of them ruptured, causing chemicals to spill into the river and subsequently into Lake Superior. Accident lead to Duluth residents being evacuated.
June 29, 1992 - Larry Buboltz, mayor of Detroit Lakes, shares on-going dialog of a possible buyer of turkey plant that closed down in city earlier in 1992.
June 26, 1992 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone comments on the congressional battle over what to do with nuclear waste in the United States.