Gingrich Asks Supporters to Help Pay for Energy Independence Ad

Says he wants to "bypass the media"; plan is to purchase a 30-minute block of time in key cities before Super Tuesday

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/22/2012 6:19:02 PM

Attention TV stations, a half-hour political ad buy could be coming your way.

In an e-mail donation solicitation to supporters, Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was asking for money to help pay for a 30-minute speech on energy independence.

Saying he wanted to "bypass the media," though it would be through a media buy, Gingrich said his plan was to purchase a 30-minute block of time in key cities before Super Tuesday (March 6) to "put our message of lower gasoline prices on televisions across the county." He did not identify which cities would be key, but Super Tuesday primary states -- Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia -- would be an obvious target, though he is not on the ballot in all those states.

Gingrich said in the e-mail that since the "elite media" only concentrates on gossip and gotchas, "we need your help to bypass the media and speak directly to the American people," he said.