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.
June 6, 2008 - DFL state convention, live coverage (starts 2:20pm) (linecheck)
May 31, 2008 - Republican state convention linecheck, 8:30
May 30, 2008 - The Republican state convention, live coverage
April 9, 2008 - Five religious women speak about their views on social justice. Four of them are sisters, and also Catholic nuns. The Rev. Peg Chemberlin is president-elect of the National Council of Churches. Guests: Kate, Rita, Brigid & Jane McDonald: Sisters and Catholic nuns, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul. Rev. Peg Chemberlin: President-elect, National Council of Churches. Executive director, Minnesota Council of Churches.
April 8, 2008 - Analysis of Iraq war testimony. Broadcast: Midday, 04/08/2008, 12:00 p.m. Two U.S. Senate committees are hearing testimony about the progress of the Iraq war from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Baghdad tells a pair of Senate committees that a troop surge in Iraq has been successful, but that the success is fragile. Ambassador Ryan Crocker echoes Petraeus' concerns. During a break in the hearings, Midday hears some analysis from a foreign policy expert. Guest: Colin Kahl: Professor, Georgetown University Center for Peace and Security Studies. Fellow, Center for a New American Security.
March 12, 2008 - Midday presents recording of prominent Minnesotans sharing stories about Minnesota during a story telling event put on by the 2008 Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission. Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota Climatologist; Carl Eller, professional football hall of famer; Al Quie, former Minnesota Governor; Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator (D-MN), and more gathered to wax Minnesota during a story telling event put on by the 2008 Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission.
January 24, 2008 - MPR's Gary Eichten interviews Louis Johnston, an economics professor at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict, to discuss the tumultuous economy. Eichten also talks to MPR’s chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell to analyze the situation.
December 25, 2007 - Truman Capote reads his story "A Christmas Memory," Garrison Keillor does a Christmas "News from Lake Wobegon," and Dan Olson reads the famous 1897 New York Sun Christmas letter "Is there a Santa Claus."
December 20, 2007 - BIll Holm speaks at the Minneapolis Library series Talk of the Stacks. Holm talks about what living in Iceland teaches you about America in his book "Windows of Brimnes: An American In Iceland."
December 20, 2007 - Two of Minnesota's freshman congressmen, Tim Walz and Keith Ellison, discuss what surprised them, what made them proud, and what they found disappointing about their first year in Washington D.C.