Public Radio at 50 “Fr. Colman was an amazing guy,” said Tom Kigin ’70, who as a freshman began working at MPR before it actually went on the air. He eventually became the network’s executive vice-president, chief administrative officer and general counsel. “He was energetic, gregarious and forward-thinking,” Kigin said. “He started all sorts of projects that the university became involved in. He was quite visionary.”
effort, and we think you should (lead) it.’” Kling did just that, with a passion that rivaled Fr. Colman’s. “The vast majority of people involved in public broadcasting around the country came to realize, hey, (Kling) is a genius,” said Eichten, who retired in 2012 after 45 years at MPR and decades as host of the All Things Considered and Midday programs.
That vision included a decidedly Benedictine element. “The Benedictines had this tradition of going into the broader community and taking the word to the people,” said Eichten, who was a Saint John’s Fr. Colman J. Barry ’42, SOT ’47, OSB (center) sophomore when he started with discusses the Minnesota Radio Talking Book MPR on April Fools’ Day 1967. network with program director C. Stanley “Fr. Colman decided a great way to Potter (left) and Frank Rarig. The Talking literally and figuratively spread the Book network is an audio service for the Gospel is to have a radio station.” blind that MPR has distributed since 1969.
‘There’s no question there wouldn’t be a Minnesota Public Radio without Colman Barry’s leadership’ Before Kling’s graduation from SJU, Fr. Colman made him an offer: Pick a graduate school, get a masters degree in communications at Saint John’s expense, and then come back to Collegeville and start a radio station. “Nobody would have made that offer—to me, anyway— except Fr. Colman,” said Kling, who got the degree at Boston University. “I can’t imagine taking a college senior and saying, ‘We’re going to launch this major communications
“It was interesting to watch Bill’s designs for growth, his ability to manage the relationship with Saint John’s and also build relationships with sponsors,” added Michael Barone, who became MPR’s sixth full-time employee in 1968, and is host and executive producer of Pipedreams, the acclaimed show dedicated to the pipe organ and distributed nationally by American Public Radio. “You can’t imagine doing it better.”
50 Years of Tales MPR has amassed five decades of characters and stories, starting with KSJR’s first day on the air. A listening party including Fr. Colman and contributors gathered at St. Cloud’s Germain Hotel for the 6:30 p.m. launch. “They brought a small FM radio with them so they could hear it,” Kling said. “Just before it was to sign on, the (station) electronics failed.” By the time KSJR finally went on the air at about 9 p.m., the listening party had gone home.
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