The Church of Scientology is about to get its own television channel starting Monday.
A Twitter handle, website and app for Scientology TV appeared Sunday posting updates to hype the network’s availability on DIRECTV, AppleTV, Roku, fireTV, Chromecast, iTunes and Google Play.
A tweet Sunday from the ScientologyTV account says, ‘It’s time for us to tell our story.’
Scientology is about to get its own television channel starting Monday, March 11
A historic five-acre motion picture and television studio has been transformed into a fully integrated digital media production center
The church say the new media center has been designed for global communication across every conceivable media channel and that there is simply no other facility like it on Earth
Scientology has been the subject of a handful of high-profile projects investigating its alleged abuses of former members including Leah Remini’s A&E docuseries ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ and Alex Gibney’s Emmy-winning documentary, ‘Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.’
The website scientology.tv says the Scientology Network will debut on at 8 p.m. eastern on Monday although it was not made clear what kind of programming the network will feature.
‘The only thing more interesting than what you’ve heard is what you haven’t,’ claims the video produced by the controversial religion, which counts such high-profile celebrities as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elizabeth Moss among its ranks.
Scientology has been at the center of ongoing scandals related to what its members can and cannot do, as well as how it deals with former devotees like Leah Remini, who has been highly critical of the Church since leaving it.
The Church set up a Twitter account for their TV network promoting their new venture
The Church of Scientology Building is shown here at 4810 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles
‘We’re focused on one purpose, which is to preserve the purpose of Dianetics and Scientology,’ says a man featured in the announcement video. ‘It’s actually making a difference in the world. That’s what it’s all about,’ adds a woman.
A Scientology channel has been rumored since the organization purchased a nearly five-acre studio in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood for $42 million from public TV station KCET.
Millions of dollars were spent refurbishing the rundown studios and reopening them as Scientology Media Productions.
Scientology leader David Miscavige called the studio an ‘uncorrupted communication line to the billions’ in a press release.
‘If you don’t write your own story, someone else will. So, yes, we’re now going to be writing our story, like no other religion in history. And it’s all going to happen right here from Scientology Media Productions.’
Celebrities including Tom Cruise and John Travolta are prominent members of the Church
The Church of Scientology International Building is shown here in Hollywood
According to the organization, ‘Scientology Media Productions [is] capable of producing multiple television programs at the same time — whether it be live news broadcasts or pre-recorded programs featuring aspects of Scientology technology, or Church-sponsored humanitarian initiatives. This wide range of programming is the anchor content for the Church’s 24/7 television network.’
In the age of streaming it should not be considered unusual that Scientology would want to launch their own on-demand service and TV channel.
Roku offers thousands of channels (including dozens of Christian networks) which allows virtually every interest, belief, hobby and organization their own platform.
While it’s a significant investment for the group, this is not the first time Scientology has used TV as a recruitment tool. The church annually drops millions on a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, something it ran for the sixth consecutive year last month.
Scientology was founded in the 1950s by writer Ron L. Hubbard.
The organization has suffered a series of public relations mishaps over the years, including being accused of spying on and harassing its members. It has also faced scrutiny over its rejection of mainstream mental health treatments.