Citing applicants' inadequate experience, Environmental Protection Agency officials have decided not to award any grants to fund the production of educational materials on water-related subjects for use in on-air stories delivered by television meteorologists and anchors.

When it requested applications for the grants, the EPA said it would have "substantial involvement" in the stories that aired (see EW's January article).

The grant program prompted expressions of suspicion from some individuals involved with broadcast news (also see EW's March article).

Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, cautioned the organization's members about the EPA program in her online column in April. In it, she wrote that such "efforts to influence the content of independent newscasts undermine the very credibility that makes the newscasts so valuable in the first place."

The EPA had sought applications from states, Indian tribes, U.S. territories, interstate and "other public or nonprofit organizations" for grants to help produce material on subjects such as water quality standards, fish advisories and beach water quality.

Grant recipients were asked to obtain commitments "from (television) station managers and news directors" to produce and broadcast stories.

Asked about the status of the program, Dave Ryan, an EPA spokesman in Washington, responded by reading this prepared statement:

"EPA issued on Dec. 3, 2004, a request for applications for cooperative agreements to provide environmental education and information using broadcast meteorologists.

"The purpose of the project was to provide factual, educational information on watershed protection to the public using television as the medium.

"EPA received four applications; however, none of the applicants met the threshold criteria of being able to demonstrate experience working with experts in the field of broadcast meteorology as well as experience designing, developing content and conducting/delivering environmental education and training programs on watershed protection.

"The four applicants were notified on April 18, 2005, that they did not meet the threshold criteria contained in the request for applications."