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.
January 21, 2002 - On Martin Luther King Day, former Vice President Walter Mondale joins MPR’s Gary Eichten to talk about the civil rights movement, yesterday and today. Mondale also discusses a wide range of current events.
January 18, 2002 - Former Green Party Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader is Gary Eichten's studio guest. He's out with a new book, Crashing the Party: How to Tell the Truth and Still Run for President. Mr. Nader will answer questions from MPR listeners.
January 18, 2002 - The first of a new series from the University of Minnesota called, "Great Conversations." Featuring Mark Yudof, University of Minnesota President, and Paul Begala, political consultant.
January 7, 2002 - Retired sports writer and popular Star Tribune columnist Jim Klobuchar talks with Gary Eichten about the Minnesota Vikings.
December 28, 2001 - In this musical edition of our Voices of Minnesota, MPR’s Dan Olson features two of Minnesota's talented jazz musicians Charmin Michelle and Doug Haining, and bandura player Tanya Riabokin.
December 26, 2001 - MPR's Mark Zdechlik reports that Governor Jesse Ventura says Minnesotans will likely be more open to major governmental reform with the state facing a projected budget deficit of nearly two billion dollars. Ventura says he'll use his State of the State speech a week from tomorrow as something of a “Government 101” course to help Minnesotans learn how state taxes are spent.
December 21, 2001 - Outgoing Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton talks with Midday’s Gary Eichten about her work in the city, tenure as mayor, and the state of Minneapolis at the end of 2001. Sayles Belton also answers listener questions.
December 17, 2001 - Stephen Sondheim, award-winning composer and lyricist, gives a speech at the Guthrie Theater's "Global Voices" series.
December 7, 2001 - A Voices of Minnesota special, featuring an exclusive interview with Carl Pohlad, and on Pearl Harbor Day, an interview with World War II Army nurse Avis Schorer.
December 4, 2001 - A Macalester College speech by Peter Bergen, one of the few Western journalists who has interviewed Osama bin Laden. He is the author of a new book, Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden.