Jack Harris will forever be known as the co-founder of Fort George Brewery, a true Pacific Northwest success story. He and Chris Nemlowill launched the brewery in 2007, converting a dilapidated building on Astoria’s Duane Street. The Fort soon became a revered maker of hop-forward IPAs led by Vortex, one of the brewery’s original beers and still a top seller.
Harris got antsy and left the Fort about five years ago, eager to spend more time with his wife and teenage son. After a while, though, he got restless again. Playing disc golf every day was fine, but not fulfilling. Besides, he was still in his 50s. He felt he had more to accomplish.
He decided to reinvent himself in the world of public broadcasting as program director at KMUN in Astoria. He’d been volunteering for years as a DJ at the NPR affiliate, and had held on to his Grateful Dead show. Today, however, the station (and all of public broadcasting) is facing a severe funding crisis.
We caught up with Harris recently for a wide-ranging Q/A. As usual, he was candid. About everything.
Q: Before we get to the crisis, inquiring minds want to know: What are your favorite Grateful Dead songs?
A: When I first started doing the show, I couldn’t tell you the titles of most of their songs. I couldn’t name all the people in the band. I couldn’t tell you what was a Jerry song or what was a Bobby song.
But in seven years, I educated myself. I ended every show with, ‘Okay, we’re going to end tonight’s show with my favorite Grateful Dead song.’ And it was a different song every time.
Q: That’s funny.
A: That’s my answer. It’s like, you know, when someone asks, ‘What’s your favorite beer?’ It depends. It’s your mood, your place, who you’re with, what you’re thinking about. I’d say that’s the case with my favorite song.
Q: What song are you in the mood for right now?
A: ‘My Sisters and Brothers.’ It’s a cover song by Jerry Garcia.
Q: The last time we talked, you were enjoying your new management gig at KMUN but said the learning curve was pretty steep. How’s it going now?
A: Oh my God. That curve hasn’t changed at all.
Q: But aren’t you more comfortable in the job?
A: [Shakes head] Nooo. They just took away 17 percent of our funding. I have to fill 30 hours of programming, stuff we’re going to lose because we can’t afford to pay for it now. And it’s my job to fill the schedule. Hey,I thought we were talking about beer.
Q: We will, but there’s an elephant in the room.
A: [Nods] I am not happy with work. I am not happy with the state of things in this world. I came home for lunch today and I was just telling my wife that my work is hard and not inspiring right now.
Q: The news is pretty dire. Every cent allocated by the federal government for public broadcasting – $1.1 billion – has been clawed back. The White House and Republican leaders claim PBS and NPR are too liberal and “woke.”
A: It’s a kick in the crotch.… We had this money allocated to us that is being reneged upon. They decided, No, we’re not going to allocate that to you. We don’t care if you only have eight weeks to figure it out, but you’re not getting that money.
We build our budgets around those things – all our planning. There are some small tribal stations where 80 percent of their funding comes from that stuff. They don’t have a shot in the world to keep going.
We’ve always had to demonstrate to the government that we have local support, and we’ve always done that. … But again, I have to put it in perspective. I’m not a Forest Service employee who was fired. I’m not a USAID worker. You can name dozens and dozens of organizations and individuals who have been screwed over by this government.
They want to make all these cuts? Great! Find the waste. Find the fraud. Make the cuts. But give people time to adapt and figure things out. This is just random bullshit. It’s very mean-spirited.
Q: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says some radio and TV stations will have to close. Is KMUN at risk?
A: Our director writes a very strict budget, and we go over it all the time. You can spend this, no, you can’t buy that programming. Right now, the plan is to cut our most expensive service, which is NPR. So, no more ‘All Things Considered,’ no more ‘Morning Edition,’ no more ‘Fresh Air,’ no more of any of those shows. Thirty hours a week of programming.
We also are going to clean our own toilets now. … We’re going to be mowing the lawn. No more travel to conferences. Equipment and maintenance is going to be deferred.
It’s that or [eliminate] a position. I offered up mine because I don’t really do it for the money. I don’t need a paycheck from KMUN. I’m not going to do it for free, but if they want to take my job and pass it off to someone on staff who needs the money to pay their mortgage, pay their rent …
Q: They haven’t taken you up on your offer?
A: Not yet.
Q: What can be done to protect the station? Seek more donations?
A: I am skeptical that asking everybody to make up that difference with their personal donations is going to be enough. To not lose a staff member, we’re going to burn through our contingency [fund] in three years.
Certainly, we’re going to see a lot more support and help, because people do care. At the [July 19] Block Party, we raised way more than we thought we were going to. People were stuffing money into the jar. … We’re going to have to have a lot of bake sales.
Q: I’d say let’s lighten the mood and talk about craft beer, but the news on that front is also a bit sobering, pardon the pun. Overall sales are edging downward and brewery closures are no longer a rarity. In your view, is this a blip, a market correction or something more alarming?
A: A lot of people got into craft beer because they thought it was easy money, and those people are going to fall out. But have you ever compared the rate of brewpub closures to restaurant closures? Nobody is saying restaurants are done because some closed.
The best of the best are going to persevere. I can’t name a craft beer company that has gone out of business that was beloved and shouldn’t have gone out of business.
Craft beer had a great ride, but Generation Z is not drinking. Tariffs are coming. There are a lot of reasons [for declining sales]. I don’t think it’s because craft brewing is somehow a flawed idea or model. … That crazy growth was always the exception. If you can grow 3, 4 percent a year, that is friggin’ solid.
Q: You’re cool with breweries offering cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages?
A: Sure. You want to have a place where people are going to come and spend some money. I don’t care what they’re drinking anymore. I want you in there. I want you listening to music and dropping some money, because that’s how people get paid.
Q: Astoria boasts a half-dozen breweries, which is more per capita than Portland. Back when you were launching Fort George, did you envision the city becoming such a beer mecca?
A: No, it never occurred to me.
Q: You’re a craft beer cheerleader, something we have in common. What industry trend has you feeling the most optimistic?
A: The normalization of it. It’s not a goofy, weird thing to drink craft beer anymore. … I also like the idea that people are buying into a lot of lagers. Some people think [super hoppy] beer is too intense; they can barely put it in their mouth. Now, there are beers being made that are more subtle.
Q: How’s your disc golf game these days?
A: [Brightens]. I’m playing my best disc golf ever. I’m in a tournament this weekend.
Q: Is the sport more valuable to you now as a stress-reliever?
A: Oh, absolutely.
