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, 2000 - On this Midday, a discussion about football with former Star Tribune writer Jim Klobuchar, author of a new book Knights and Knaves of Autumn: 40 Years of Vikings Football.
November 21, 2000 - Former South African President Nelson Mandela speaks at a NAACP and Minnesota Meeting in Minneapolis.
November 13, 2000 - Veterans Day special featuring spiritual journeys of veterans.
October 17, 2000 - Rebecca Wells, author of the best-selling book, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" speaking in the Twin Cities at the Pen Pals Lecture Series sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
October 9, 2000 - A new MPR special called "A Common Place." In this edition, a cancer researcher who is an orthodox Jew, a computer scientist who is a theologian, and a Buddhist monk explores what it means to be human.
October 2, 2000 - Former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer joins Paul Grogan, vice president for Government, Community, and Public Affairs at Harvard University to talk about Paul Grogan's new book, "Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Survival".
September 25, 2000 - Tom Neuville, Republican State Senator; and Ann DeGroot, director of Out Front Minnesota discuss Governor Ventura's decision to look into providing benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian state employees.
September 6, 2000 - Former Minnesota Governor Elmer Andersen has written a memoir about his life in public service called A Man's Reach. Governor Andersen spoke about the book and his life with Gary Eichten. He was joined by Lori Sturdevant, Star Tribune reporter and editor of A Man's Reach.
September 1, 2000 - "A Common Place", a documentary about work, meaning, and purpose.
August 24, 2000 - Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota Climatologist, joins Gary Eichten to answer listener weather questions live from the MPR booth at the State Fair.