Former KCET Studios to Become Scientology Station

The Echo Park-Silver Lake area is no stranger to religious broadcasting.

Indeed, the Foursquare Church and former home of pioneering evangelical broadcaster Aimee Semple McPherson sit just a few steps from Echo Park Lake.

What goes and around comes around and with it this news from Reuters: the Church of Scientology will launch a multi-media operation in the former KCET studios on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake:

The church plans to establish a central media hub for our growing world network of churches and to move into the production of religious television and radio broadcasting," said Karin Pouw, a spokeswoman for Church of Scientology International, in an email [to Reuters].

KCET employees moved to Burbank in April, after the church bought the lot last year for $42 million.

Home to KCET since 1970, it has been the longest continually-producing studio in Hollywood, since 1912.

There is no timeframe for when production or hiring for the Scientology project will begin.

A pop culture expert quoted in the Reuters story expressed no suprise at the move, noting that churches have often been at the forefront of niche broadcasting.

Read the full Reuters article here.

And see LAist's take here.