You can actually contact any GM about an application. The GMs then review the application and decide whether or not to send the applicant to Talad for an interview. The reason all applicants aren't interviewed is because, as Santiago alluded to, Talad is a very busy man. If you pass the interview with Talad, you're on the team. And yes, then you have to read stuff, but that's just part of your training.

As for the issue you mention, Nilrem, we try to provide reasons with every rejection: that's our policy. However, we make mistakes sometimes. It may have been that the person informing the applicant was busy with other things at the time, and thus distracted, or perhaps tired, etc. We may be GMs, but we're still human. To any applicants we may have failed to inform of the reason for your rejection: I apologize on the behalf of the GM team. If you are still interested in the reason for your rejection, shoot me a PM and I'll tell you to the best of my knowledge. And remember, if you are rejected, that doesn't mean you can never be a GM. Give it a few months. Play the game and work on roleplay. Then apply again. And even if you never get on the team, it isn't the end of the world.
We're always looking for new GMs, but we need to make sure the team is top-notch. We consider a lot of criteria when reviewing an application (though we have no formal list, sorry!). Our decisions are not arbitrary. Please understand that our goal is not to create an elitist organization, but to provide the best service we can to the players. We're in this for you!