Created in 1987, Mainstreet Radio held a mission of reporting specifically from rural Minnesota to all of Minnesota. With an introductory staff of Rachel Reabe, Leif Enger, and John Biewen, the group developed both long and short form news features as part of MPR Journal and Morning Edition broadcasts. As the years progressed, Mainstreet Radio expanded both in reporter contributions and programming, with memorable work from the likes of Mark Steil and Catherine Winter, amongst others. Beginning in the 1990s, Mainstreet Radio presented a monthly two-hour special, focusing on issues outside the Twin Cities metro. The varied Mainstreet Radio programming ran into the mid-2000s.
Mainstreet Radio presented a breadth of topics, providing an avenue for individuals from all walks of life to be heard. These efforts garnered numerous journalistic awards, including 65 national and regional awards in its first 10 years (1987-97).
Award-winning material in “special programs,” “series,” or “documentary” categories include Meth in Minnesota; Against the Grain; Dancing on Beat: Portrait of a Reservation Family; After the Flood; An Education in Diversity; Rekindling the Spirit: The Rebirth of American Indian Spirituality; Wilderness Truce: Ely 10 Years Later; Making the Grade: Rural schools the work; The Rural School Challenge; Broken Trust: Civil Rights in Indian Country; Gold: New Prospects on the Iron Range; and Articles of Faith.
Award-winning material in the category of “reporting” include Frog Music; Pumpkinland; Four Winds Treatment Center; Deer Hunting Weekend; Border Check for Poachers; Mille Lacs Fishing Launch; Loon Habitat; House Call Doctor; Geritol Frolics; Cartwright's Calendar; Ice-Fishing on Mille Lacs; Mercury Fillets; and A Place for the Wolf.
September 22, 1994 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special broadcast about Lake Superior and activity around it. Program consists of multiple interview site locations (Duluth, Grand Marais, and Thunder Bay). Topics include health of lake and development along the North Shore.
December 16, 1994 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from the Minnesota Correctional Facility at Sauk Center. The program highlights various aspects of juvenile justice. MPR’s Rachel Reabe interviews three teenagers incarcerated at Sauk Center. Following interviews, MPR’s Catherine Winter hosts a discussion with Larry Smith, program director at Sauk Center; Tom Van Engen, I-R legislator from Spicer; and Freddie Davis, chair of state female offender task force.
March 17, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports from Black & White Cafe in Little Falls, Minnnesota. Between burgers, patrons enjoy a rarity in the area, live jazz nights. Enger interviews cafe owner, one of the musicians, and a diner.
March 20, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s reports on concerns of some Ely parents on students leaving during school day to attend church programs. While voluntary, these residents feel that education and church activities should not be connected. Those concerns don’t sit well with some in the community, who see religious release time as completely acceptable.
March 27, 1995 - With Governor Arne Carlson’s desire to reduce state aid to local governments, Mainstreet Radio’s Mark Steil reports that small towns like Winona are being put in a bind. Local officials feel that state government should make staff and program cuts, rather than cutting municipal funds. They also recommend reducing waste, something cities feel they have already addressed.
April 24, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports on a proposal to use parts of Camp Ripley as a prison site to assist in easing overcrowding issues in the state prison system. Local opinion seems open to the idea.
June 21, 1995 - A special Mainstreet Radio broadcast From the Chuckwagon in Cleveland, Minnesota. Host Mark Steil presents a report and panel discussion about controversy over large hog production. It’s a battle between efficiency and economical supply vs. concerns over environmental impact to rural residents and economic hardships to small farms.
September 18, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports on Project Grow, a program focused on developing food planting and produce services as a way to counter the growing issue of diabetes in Native American communities. It’s a callback to traditional ways regarding food and preparation.
October 13, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Catherine Winter profiles northern Minnesota band The Splinters. Members of the band talk about their efforts in the revival of town hall dance night.
October 13, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports on researchers trying to figure the reason for the smaller than expected annual moose count in Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge. If disease is the culprit, where are the bodies? It may come down to human error.