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TV Station Sells Studio to Church of Scientology

Apr 26, 2011  •  Post A Comment

A Los Angeles TV station has sold its landmark studio to the Church of Scientology, reports the Los Angeles Times. Former PBS station KCET-TV will reportedly remain at the Sunset Boulevard location for as long as a year while it searches for new headquarters.

The price was undisclosed, although the property has an assessed value of $14.1 million, the article notes. The Church of Scientology said the purchase will help the organization expand its broadcast production and audiovisual capabilities.

The sale comes after KCET dropped its PBS affiliation in January, losing signature shows such as "Sesame Street.”

"It is a perfect fit, in both size and location, for the expansion of the Church of Scientology’s production of religious and social betterment audiovisual properties, and we welcomed the unexpected opportunity to acquire it," the church said in a statement.

3 Comments

  1. That’s great! My cult will hopefully be able to scam people in this neighborhood now!

  2. Good for them. The Church has been producing educational and humanitarian films for the last decades and so it makes sense that they would move into TV and Internet broadcast now.

  3. This new studio is a turnkey setup that provides the Church the means to move into broadcasting for both the religion and its many social betterment and humanitarian programs. It is also ideally set up to establish a central media hub for our network of Churches around the world. Utilizing the studio’s existing satellite uplink, we will be able to provide our Churches and affiliated groups globally with instantaneous access to a wealth of content, all in high definition, ranging from the Church’s six annual international events to new educational and introductory films and even video updates for the public informational displays located in Churches around the world.
    This new studio enables the Church to establish one of the most advanced centers used by religious broadcasters with the ability to harness 21st century broadcast technology and production power to deliver its message to the largest international audience possible.
    Established in 1912, the KCET studio lot is the longest continuously-producing Hollywood studio. As such, the unique film and television heritage of this studio represents a legacy that the Church of Scientology is proud to carry forward. With a decades-long tradition of historical property preservation, especially in Hollywood, the Church intends to not only maintain but enhance the rich history of this venerable studio by fully and meticulously restoring the property’s remarkable historical structures. We will now begin the planning phase for renovations and new equipment installations for the Church’s unique use so that work can commence immediately upon KCET’s move to their new facilities in the coming year.

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