ANDY SPAHN: The Message is Still the Environment

A year ago Monday was the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, and like a rainstorm to a thirsty gulch the entertainment industry flooded the market with environmental songs, messages, music videos and TV specials.

In anticipation of the event, the entertainment industry sprouted an organization called the Environmental Media Association. The foundation was created and funded by the industry’s movers and shakers to serve as an environmental research center and ecological guidance counselor.

The idea was that the television, film and music industries would turn to E.M.A. for tips on how to incorporate environmental information into their work. E.M.A., in turn, would conduct campaigns and seminars to gently remind the creative community to keep their projects evergreen.

Closing in on Earth Day 1991, Daniel Cerone checked in with E.M.A. president Andy Spahn to see if the environmental organization is flourishing or drying up at the roots.

Has the television industry backed off its commitment to environmentally minded programming since all the international hoopla over Earth Day last year?

No. I think certainly Earth Day 1990 was a beginning for us. But since then our work has increased here, if measured by the number of TV shows we’re working with. Other measurements have gone up also, like the volume of calls we receive and public opinion surveys and polls.

I guess I would add to that, the sense of urgency has never been greater. All estimates in the scientific community seem to suggest we have a 10- or 12-year window of opportunity to begin to make the kinds of changes in our behavior that we need to. As a result, many people in the entertainment industry are viewing the ‘90s as the decade of our environment.

Why was E.M.A. formed?

We were formed in April, 1989, by leaders of the entertainment industry, and we were shaped as a response to the environmental crisis. The basis of that is essentially that the entertainment industry is in a unique position to reach millions of people in a way politicians, governments and grass-roots movements can’t, with messages of concern about the environment and concrete examples of positive steps individuals can take to make a difference.

How are environmental messages worked into TV shows?

What we try and stress is consistency and an ongoing commitment. What I mean by that is, for example, if a show such as “Murphy Brown” begins to talk about recycling, we like to see that they continue to show recycling as a normal behavior, which is what they have done. The “Murphy Brown” recycling episode, called “Whose Garbage Is It Anyway?,” aired last November. And they have addressed a range of issues since then, from car pooling to water conservation.

What other ways are ecological themes worked into TV shows?

Well, what I just described in “Murphy Brown” was an episodic treatment, a full episode dealing with an environmental concern. But what’s just as important to us is what we call incidental dialogue. That may be a 60-second exchange between two characters that’s not central to the story line or plot line, but still delivers a powerful message. “Doogie Howser” did this very effectively recently when two of the characters talked about the importance of protecting the rain forest.

How closely does E.M.A. work with the TV industry?

It happens on a couple of levels simultaneously. We start the fall season in June each year by sponsoring a briefing hosted by all four network presidents, in which we invite all the executive producers of all the fall prime-time programming. That is sort of an educational session, questions and answers.

As a result of that initial session, we form ongoing relations with a number of shows. We may be asked specific questions by writers or producers or called to join in on brainstorming sessions. We will work on a show-by-show basis, doing either research, reviewing a script, fact-checking, arranging meetings with environmental experts, and so on. And that will occur all during the next six to nine months. At the same time, we are conducting general industry wide briefings on an ongoing basis.

Is E.M.A. ever regarded as a nuisance?

This grew out of the entertainment industry, which is a critical factor in our success. We have unprecedented support within the industry. We are viewed as family. We are part of the industry. This is not some outside lobby coming in to tell Hollywood what to do. This is the industry responding to the environmental crisis and the sense of urgency with the creation of E.M.A.

I understand E.M.A. is creating an environmental award.

This year we are inaugurating the first annual Environmental Media Awards, or the Emmas. We’re (taking) entries until May 31, and the award gala itself will be in September. There will be about 10 categories.

Do you have a way to monitor how many environmental messages appear on TV?

I wish. It’s a big frustration of ours. We are a lean, mean nonprofit staff of four. We’re busy working with so many shows, and the shows are so busy. It’s not like we’ll come in and do a briefing, go over a script and then they’ll tell us when its going to air. That’s not how television works. Hopefully the awards will help monitor what’s being done just by the sheer volume of submissions we receive. The submissions will be coming from the executive producers or the networks, and they’ll supply actual clips.