Gingrich: T.V. Can Pay For Drug Ads

WASHINGTON (AP) If television networks can pay $600,000 salaries to
multiple stars of the same sitcom, House Speaker Newt Gingrich says they can
afford to donate ad time to his campaign for a drugfree America.

``We need to go to the networks and say `No, we're not going to buy
advertising, donate it,''' Gingrich told mayors, police chiefs, prosecutors
and members of Congress at an antidrug meeting Wednesday.

``When the networks can give $600,000 a show to three stars, each in the same
half hour, the networks can give every single ad we need to communicate with
our kids, and they ought to do it as citizens because Americans have been
pretty darn good to the networks,'' he added.

The reference was to three stars of NBC's ``Seinfeld,'' who recently settled
a salary dispute for a reported $600,000 each per show.

In response, the National Association of Broadcasters noted that ABC gave up
millions of dollars in ad revenue when it devoted the entire month of March
to a campaign urging parents to help their children avoid drugs.

NBC representatives were traveling and were unavailable for comment.

Gingrich, RGa., commented at a meeting where a task force of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors and the other officials handed Congress its blueprint
for combatting the nation's drug epidemic.

The plan, which mirrors the administration's antidrug policy, urges greater
community involvement with youngsters. It also prescribes increased
prevention and treatment, coupled with strict law enforcement.

``If you could eliminate the drug problem from most neighborhoods and ...
from most schools, you've eliminated a very high percentage of drug abuse, a
very high percentage of spousal abuse,'' Gingrich said.

He said the goal for Jan. 1, 2001, should be to have a virtually ``drugfree
country,'' regardless of cost and asked the mayors to report back within 90
days on what efforts are succeeding in their communities.

Gingrich said the United States has the resources to ``destroy the drug
culture'' if it so desires, and should use them.

``I don't want slogans to throw money at so when the bureaucracy fails we
have a new hearing,'' he said. ``If you show me a program that's actually
rehabilitating people, we'll fight to get it the money.''