For many who have listened to the airwaves over the previous decades, Gary Eichten’s voice is synonymous to Minnesota Public Radio. The retired MPR News editor-at-large Eichten has worn many hats during his 40-plus-year career at MPR, including news director, special events producer, and station manager. He routinely 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!).
It all began on April Fool’s Day in 1967, when Eichten started his career at Minnesota Public Radio as a student announcer at Collegeville’s KSJR, MPR’s first station. He became the station’s one-man news department and quickly found that turning up his headphones forced him to speak more intimately, which gave him that radio voice.
In the fall of 1992, Eichten moved from hosting the regional late-afternoon edition of All Things Considered to hosting Midday. In his new role, Eichten personified the art of hosting, a tradition begun by the program’s previous host, Bob Potter. It also solidified Gary’s distinct tone and insightful questions that listeners came to hear as being MPR.
As Midday host, Eichten let his guests answer those questions and sought to understand their responses. With daily early morning research, his respectful but direct on-air style, and assistance from his long-time producer Sara Meyer, Eichten found himself making memorable radio…from a poignant sign-off of the original regional “All Things Considered,” a live on-air moment with a contentious Governor Ventura, to even a pledge drive.
Among the honors Eichten received during his MPR career is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for Best Local News Program and the prestigious 2011 Graven Award by the Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board for his contribution to excellence in the journalism profession. He also assisted in the development of two Peabody award-winning documentaries. In 2007, Eichten was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting's Hall of Fame.
Simply put, Mr. Eichten is a Minnesota treasure, on and off the air.
October 20, 1993 - Midday offers interviews with Twin Cities mayoral candidates. In this segment, incumbent St. Paul Mayor Andy Dawkins describes himself and what he sees as needs of the city, including stopping flight to the suburbs.
October 21, 1993 - Midday offers interviews with Twin Cities mayoral candidates. In this segment, Sharon Sayles Belton, president of the Minneapolis City Council, talks about wanting to be mayor of Minneapolis.
October 22, 1993 - Midday presents an MPR documentary entitled Far From the Mountains, which follows the story of one of the 1,000 Tibetans resettling in the United States in the early 1990s.
October 22, 1993 - Midday offers interviews with Twin Cities mayoral candidates. In this segment, John Derus, Hennepin County commissioner, talks about what he would do as mayor of Minneapolis. He counters negative commentary about him, providing a self-description as a pragmatic Democrat.
October 28, 1993 - A Midday broadcast of KTCA-TV Forum, featuring St. Paul mayoral candidates Norm Coleman and Andy Dawkins. The two discuss political issues and their individual campaigns.
October 28, 1993 - Hy Berman, history professor of University of Minnesota, provides a quick summary of the political, social and economic historical differences between South Minneapolis and North Side.
November 2, 1993 - Former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer joins MPR via satellite from Washington, D.C., where he is a consultant to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to talk about the future of United States cities.
November 3, 1993 - Midday presents the first joint appearance of both mayors-elect of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Sharon Sayles Belton and Norm Coleman talk with MPR’s Gary Eichten and answer listener questions.
November 11, 1993 - William H. Hull, author of “All Hell Broke Loose: Experiences of Young People During the Armistice Day 1940 Blizzard,” talks about the stories he complied of the surprise storm that struck Minnesota on November 11, 1940. He also imparts the necessity to be aware of the speed of weather changes.
November 18, 1993 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with Bill Frenzel, former Minnesota U.S. congressman, who played a key role in the successful efforts in getting NAFTA bill passed through Congress.