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.
November 24, 2006 - Oscar Wilde. Mark Twain. Antonin Dvorak. Gertrude Stein. Those are just a few of the artists who have made their way through St. Paul over the years. The University of Minnesota's Patricia Hampl explored the Capitol City through their eyes in a perfromance Nov. 10 at the Fitzgerald Theater.
November 23, 2006 - As Thanksgiving brings family together to share food and gratitude, "Giving Thanks" brings together music, stories and writers that contemplate the meaning of the holiday.
October 31, 2006 - Midday presents a broadcast of KSMQ 1st District debate between incumbent Republican candidate Gil Gutknecht and DFL candidate Tim Walz. Gutknecht and Walz sparred over issues ranging from the Iraq war to the controversial DM&E railroad extension that would run through Rochester.
October 19, 2006 - Continued discussion with Katherine Lanpher, former MPR "Midmorning" host. Lanpher left Minnesota for New York City, and returns to the MPR airwaves to discuss book about her move to the big city. Lanpher also answers listener questions. This is part 2 of 2. Lanpher is also former co-host of "The Al Franken Show" on Air America Radio. Lanpher's book is titled "Leap Days: Chronicles of a Midlife Move." Program contains pledge-drive segments.
October 19, 2006 - Katherine Lanpher, former MPR "Midmorning" host, who left Minnesota for New York City, returns to the MPR airwaves to discuss book about her move to the big city. Lanpher also answers listener questions. This is part 1 of 2. Lanpher is also former co-host of "The Al Franken Show" on Air America Radio. Lanpher's book is titled "Leap Days: Chronicles of a Midlife Move." Program contains pledge-drive segments.
October 17, 2006 - As part of our “Meet the Candidates” series, Amy Klobuchar, DFL candidate for the U.S. senate, explains what she would do if she gets to take Mark Dayton's place in the U.S. Senate. Klobuchar also answers listener questions.
October 16, 2006 - As part of our “Meet the Candidates” series, preseneted is a broadcast of Meet the Press debate between Minnesota U.S. Senate candidates Amy Klobuchar and Mark Kennedy. The two debated on issues such as Iraq and tax policy. Debate was moderated by Tim Russert, Meet the Press host. Program closes with follow-up commentary by political analysts Bob Meek and Tom Horner.
October 13, 2006 - Neil Simon, who will be honored Sunday with the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, was at the Guthrie Theater on Oct. 8 for a conversation with its artistic director Joe Dowling.
September 18, 2006 - MPR’s Stephen Smith moderates a civil rights panel discussion with an author, an activist, a teacher and a former vice president of the United States at the Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis.
September 13, 2006 - Toni Morrison, who has won both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, spoke about her writing Sept. 5 at Macalester College in St. Paul. Her talk was part of the inaugural lecture series for the college's Institute for Global Citizenship.