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.
April 7, 1999 - Minnesota's U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Rod Grams, give the annual Frank Premack Lecture sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Minnesota Journalism Center.
March 24, 1999 - Norm Coleman, St. Paul mayor, discusses the state of the city and answers listener questions.
March 24, 1999 - Scott Strand, former deputy counsel in the Minnesota State Attorney’s office, discusses a treaty rights ruling from the Supreme Court regarding hunting and fishing. Program includes a debrief from MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki on the history of case.
March 18, 1999 - A "Talk of Minnesota" program, presenting the views of MPR listeners on the role of big time athletics at a university. Wendell Anderson, former Governor, University of Minnesota regent Gopher hockey player, joins the conversation.
March 18, 1999 - Mark Yudof, University of Minnesota president, discusses the role of athletics at the University and the accusations of academic fraud in the Gopher men's basketball program. Yudof also answers listener questions.
March 16, 1999 - Chris Farrell, MPR's senior business and economics editor, discusses big news on Wall Street…the first time in history the DOW went over 10,000. Farrell also answers listener questions.
March 11, 1999 - Sir Peter Hall, creator of the Royal Shakespeare Company, delivered a speech at the Guthrie Theater's annual "Global Voices Forum on Art and Life."
March 11, 1999 - Howard Sinker, MPR sports commentator; and Jay Weiner, MPR sports commentator, discuss the allegations of academic fraud in the University of Minnesota basketball program. MPR reporters William Wilcoxen and Tim Pugmire contribute reports. Basketball coach, Clem Haskins, discusses big-time athletics in the University setting.
March 8, 1999 - Dr. Arthur Caplan, Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania addresses the Minnesota Meeting. Caplan's speech was titled, "The Ethics of Making Babies: And Other Moral Dilemmas in the Brave New World of Medicine." Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
March 8, 1999 - Mike Hatch, Attorney General, discusses his legislative agenda. Topics include HMO reform, crime-fighting, airline competition, banking reforms and more. Hatch also answers listener questions.