Scientology Network is an American television network and streaming service launched by the

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious ...

on March 12, 2018. The channel is available on

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California, El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary ...

Channel 320, DirecTV Stream, AT&T U-verse, the website Scientology.tv,

Apple TV An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ...

Roku Roku ( ) is a brand of hardware digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. They offer access to streaming media content from online services. The first Roku model, developed in collaboration with Netflix, was introduce ...

Amazon Fire TV Amazon Fire TV (stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connec ...

, and through

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

and Android apps. In the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United ...

, where Scientology has its spiritual headquarters, the channel is broadcast on WFTT, and some programs air as

paid programming Paid or PAID may refer to: * ''Paid'' (1930 film), an American film starring Joan Crawford * ''Paid'' (2006 film), a Dutch film *''Personality and Individual Differences'', a journal See also * Paide Paide is a town in Estonia and the ...

on broadcast channels.

Launch

Scientology leader

David Miscavige David Miscavige (; born April 30, 1960) is the leader of the Church of Scientology and, according to the organization, "Captain of the Sea Org". His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Ce ...

introduced the first evening of broadcast, saying, “We’re not here to preach to you, to convince you or to convert you. No, we simply want to show you, because after all, the first principle of Scientology is that it’s only true if it is true to you. So, take a look and then decide for yourself.” The network launched with six original shows, including: ''Meet A Scientologist'', ''Voices for Humanity'', and ''L. Ron Hubbard: In His Own Voice''. The network’s launch countdown was posted via official social media accounts and an advertisement promoting the network was displayed in Times Square on the day of the launch. The teaser video announced, “The only thing more interesting than what you’ve heard, is what you haven’t.” One tweet from the church’s official Twitter handle said, “It’s time for us to tell our story.” According to entertainment website

Variety.com ''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...

, the network seems to be a “stepped up effort by the church to address critics.” Quartz media said, “Unfortunately for Scientology, the church picked literally the worst time to get into the TV game. The number of cable and streaming TV channels and series has increased exponentially in recent years—making it harder and harder for brands to stick out in the era of 'peak TV'.”

Scientology Media Productions

Scientology Network broadcasts from Scientology Media Productions in Los Angeles, California, located on 4401 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Scientology Media Productions launched in 2016 at the previous location of the KCET Studios, a cultural landmark in Hollywood that dates back to 1912. According to LA Weekly, photos acquired from the church, “depict a state-of-the-art facility offering soundstages with ‘robotically controlled cameras,’ a scenery shop, screening rooms, a visual-effects center and a television broadcast studio.” Scientology’s publishing department is also within the premises. The production facility was foreseen by the media to be the site of the Church of Scientology’s planned 24-hour TV network, before it came into fruition in 2018.

References

External links

*{{official, http://www.scientology.tv Scientology and the Internet Scientology and society Religious television networks Religious television stations in the United States 2018 establishments in California Television channels and stations established in 2018 Internet television channels