Obama administration to run gun-safety ads on 1,700 TV stations

The Obama administration is developing gun-education ads that will blanket the airwaves this summer.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance, an agency within the Justice Department (DOJ), has awarded a $1 million grant to National Crime Prevention Council to develop public service announcements (PSAs) that are intended to promote the safe use of firearms.

DOJ said the ads would “encourage gun owners to safely store their firearms so that they do not fall into the wrong hands.”

“We are determined to implement the kinds of common-sense solutions that our citizens — and especially our young people — deserve,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement. “The administration is committed to working with firearm owners and enthusiasts to prevent tragic accidents and keep guns from falling into the wrong hands.”

{mosads}The funding will be used to produce public service announcements for television, radio and outdoor billboards. DOJ estimates that the PSAs will reach more than 1,700 television stations, nearly 15,000 radio stations and more than 500 cable networks in 210 markets this summer.

The ad campaign will be carried out by the nonprofit National Public Education Campaign, which has been in charge of PSAs since 1982.

The ads are part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to curb gun violence in the wake of last year’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

Gun control efforts are also being considered in Congress. The Senate Judiciary Committee is marking up several gun measures on Thursday, including a controversial ban on military-style assault weapons.