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 22, 2010 - On this Midday call-in program, former Vice President Walter Mondale joins MPR’s Gary Eichten to take questions about his new political memoir, The Good Fight: A life in Liberal Politics. The book traces Mondale's career from a young Minnesota attorney general to Vice President. While personal, it's also the story of half a century of progressive politics.
October 21, 2010 - At a special Fitzgerald theater event, best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith joins Garrison Keillor on stage to talk about literature and the life of a writer.
October 15, 2010 - Midday rebroadcasts playwright and humorist Kevin Kling, one of Minnesota's best-known storytellers, speaking at the Maplewood Library as part of the Club Book program. Along with several plays, Kling is the author of two collections of stories, The Dog Says How and Holiday Inn.
October 15, 2010 - As part of a rebroadcast, Midday continues with a broadcast of playwright and humorist Kevin Kling, one of Minnesota's best-known storytellers, speaking at the Maplewood Library as part of the Club Book program. Along with several plays, Kling is the author of two collections of stories, The Dog Says How and Holiday Inn.
October 14, 2010 - American RadioWorks' Stephen Smith and Kate Ellis join Midday’s Gary Eichten to talk about their new book, Say it Loud!: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity.
October 6, 2010 - Midday presents an American RadioWorks documentary titled Testing Teachers. Studies show that students with the best teachers learn three times as much as students with the worst teachers. Politicians and education reformers are calling for big changes in how teachers are trained and evaluated…and in the way teachers are hired and fired too.
September 24, 2010 - As part of celebration of F. Scott Fitzgerald's birthday, Midday airs "The Big Time: F. Scott Fitzgerald." With the theater that bears his namesake turning 100 years old, author Patricia Hampl marks the occasion by presenting this original production. It's a staged storytelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's vision of making it big.
August 31, 2010 - Midday presents a broadcast of playwright and humorist Kevin Kling, one of Minnesota's best-known storytellers, speaking at the Maplewood Library as part of the Club Book program. Along with several plays, Kling is the author of two collections of stories, The Dog Says How and Holiday Inn.
July 1, 2010 - Midday presents a broadcast of Minnesota's award-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo talking about why she writes and how she does it. DiCamillo also takes questions from kids at a recent Club Book event in Apple Valley.
June 30, 2010 - Hear extended excerpts on questioning of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan by Minnesota’s U.S. Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.