KSCN-TV
KSCN-TV is a Los Angeles television station that has broadcast the Scientology Network since January 2025.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
KSCN-TV is a television station serving Los Angeles, California, on channel 22. The station is owned by Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting, a company affiliated with the Church of Scientology, and since January 6, 2025, it has carried the Scientology Network on a full-time basis. Its studios are located at the KCET Studios complex on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, while its transmission facilities are on Mount Wilson. The station shares radio-frequency channel 4 with Garden Grove-licensed KWHY under a channel-sharing arrangement; KWHY retained by Meruelo Media is the continuation of the former channel 22 service's call-sign and programming history. The station's lineage begins with a construction permit granted in 1952 to John Poole, the owner of Los Angeles radio station KBIG. Initially designated KPIK and later KBIC-TV, the proposed facility transmitted a test image but did not enter regular program service. The permit was sold to Central Broadcasting Corporation of California in the early 1960s, and the station adopted the call sign KIIX before beginning broadcasts on March 25, 1963. KIIX targeted Los Angeles's African American audience and carried locally produced music, children's, teenage, news, and sports programming. Its ambitious live schedule was quickly curtailed by financial difficulties, leading to staff reductions and a much smaller schedule. Coast Television Broadcasting Corporation acquired the facility in 1964. After a period off the air, it returned as KPOL-TV in March 1965 with mainly filmed programming and a distinctive low-commercial-load format. The station became KWHY-TV in August 1966. Its most important early identity was business television: beginning in November 1966, it aired an extended stock-market program covering trading activity from the New York opening through the Pacific Coast close. This service evolved into The Business Channel and later 22 Business News and Business News 22. KWHY also became known for technical experimentation, including dense on-screen financial data, automated commercial playback, and computer-generated graphics. Subscription television became another major chapter. SelecTV launched over KWHY in 1978, allowing viewers to pay for individual programs rather than subscribing to a flat-rate package. Harriscope and SelecTV acquired the station in 1981, but the subscription business weakened as the market changed. SelecTV ended its KWHY service on March 31, 1989, after bankruptcy-related difficulties, and KWHY moved toward Spanish-language independent programming while retaining business coverage for a time. The station later passed through several ownership and affiliation phases. Telemundo acquired KWHY in 2001, and NBC's acquisition of Telemundo integrated its operations with those of Los Angeles NBC station KNBC. NBCUniversal subsequently sought to sell the station in the context of its broader ownership and merger considerations. The Meruelo Group acquired KWHY in 2011. In 2012, the station became a charter affiliate of MundoFox, later rebranded MundoMax, and operated as that network's effective Los Angeles flagship. When MundoMax ceased operations in 2016, KWHY returned to Spanish-language independent programming. It carried Azteca América on a digital subchannel during 2022, but that arrangement ended when the network discontinued operations. Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting agreed to acquire the station from Meruelo Media in 2024 for a reported $30 million, with the transaction including the channel-sharing arrangement while Meruelo retained KBEH. The sale closed on January 6, 2025. The call sign changed from KWHY-TV to KSCN-TV, and the station began simulcasting the Scientology Network full time, discontinuing its other subchannels. KSCN-TV therefore represents the current broadcast identity of a facility with a long history spanning African American-targeted local television, filmed programming, financial news, subscription television, Spanish-language broadcasting, and national network affiliation.
History
The channel 22 facility was proposed in the early 1950s by radio broadcaster John Poole, who sought to expand his Los Angeles broadcasting interests into television. The original construction permit was issued under the KPIK call sign and later became KBIC-TV. Although a test image was transmitted and construction work was undertaken at Mount Wilson, the station did not initially enter regular program service. In 1962, the dormant permit was sold to Central Broadcasting Corporation of California, which changed the call sign to KIIX. KIIX began broadcasting on March 25, 1963, with programming aimed at Los Angeles's African American community. Its schedule included local music, youth programming, news, and sports, and much of its staff was African American. The station's live-heavy operating model proved difficult to sustain financially. Within months, it reduced its live output, dismissed numerous employees, and relied more heavily on films to remain on the air. Coast Television Broadcasting Corporation acquired the facility in 1964, and after a shutdown it returned as KPOL-TV in March 1965. The KPOL-TV period emphasized filmed programming and limited commercial interruptions. In 1966, following a change in ownership arrangements, the station became KWHY-TV. That identity became closely associated with financial television when KWHY introduced a long daily stock-market program in November 1966. The service followed market activity throughout the trading day and eventually became known as The Business Channel. KWHY complemented the financial format with multilingual programming, including Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese programs. KWHY later became an important subscription-television outlet. SelecTV launched on the station in July 1978 with a pay-per-program model. Harriscope and SelecTV acquired KWHY in 1981, and the service continued for more than a decade. The station also developed a technically distinctive business-news presentation featuring multiple market indexes, ticker information, real-time pricing, computer graphics, and automated commercial playback. As cable distribution expanded and subscription television lost subscribers, SelecTV's economics deteriorated. The service ended on March 31, 1989, after bankruptcy-related problems. Following SelecTV's departure, KWHY shifted toward Spanish-language independent broadcasting while continuing its financial programming for several years. The business service underwent several name changes and ultimately left KWHY in 1999. The station's next major ownership phase began when Telemundo purchased it in 2001. After NBC acquired Telemundo, KWHY's operations were integrated with KNBC in the Los Angeles area. NBCUniversal later considered selling the station and ultimately sold it to The Meruelo Group in 2011. Under Meruelo ownership, KWHY became a charter affiliate of MundoFox in 2012 and was later branded MundoMax. Local and network news plans changed during this period. The station's locally produced newscasts were canceled in 2015 when RCN Television assumed sales and marketing responsibilities, while later programming included externally produced Spanish-language newscasts from Mexico. MundoMax ended in 2016, prompting KWHY to resume Spanish-language independent programming. The station carried Azteca América on a digital subchannel from 2022 until the network ceased operations at the end of that year. In 2024, Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting agreed to buy KWHY-TV from Meruelo Media. The transaction closed on January 6, 2025. The call sign was changed to KSCN-TV, and the station began carrying the Scientology Network full time. The current service uses the Los Angeles facility's channel-sharing and Mount Wilson transmission infrastructure while operating from studios at the KCET Studios complex in Hollywood.
- 2025
KSCN-TV launches Scientology Network service
[1]Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting completed its acquisition, changed the call sign to KSCN-TV, and began full-time Scientology Network broadcasting.
- 2016
Return to Spanish-language independence
[1]The station resumed independent Spanish-language programming after MundoMax ended operations.
- 2012
MundoFox affiliation
[1]KWHY became a charter MundoFox affiliate and functioned as the network's effective Los Angeles flagship.
- 2011
Meruelo Group acquisition
[1]The Meruelo Group completed its acquisition of KWHY-TV from NBCUniversal.
- 2001
Telemundo acquisition
[1]Telemundo acquired KWHY-TV and continued operating it as an independent outlet.
- 1989
End of SelecTV service
[1]SelecTV ceased broadcasting over KWHY, accelerating the station's transition toward Spanish-language independent programming.
- 1978
SelecTV launches
[1]Subscription television service SelecTV began operating over KWHY with a pay-per-program model.
- 1966
KWHY-TV identity and stock-market programming
[1]The station adopted the KWHY-TV call sign and launched its long-running stock-market coverage.
- 1965
Return as KPOL-TV
[1]The station returned to the air under Coast Television Broadcasting Corporation as KPOL-TV.
- 1963
KIIX enters program service
[1]After the dormant permit changed hands, KIIX began broadcasting with programming aimed at Los Angeles's African American community.
Products and positioning
A Los Angeles broadcast outlet for the Scientology Network, using a long-established local television facility and channel-sharing infrastructure.
Television network programming · 2025
Scientology Network
Since January 6, 2025, KSCN-TV has carried the Scientology Network full time. The station's current schedule is therefore primarily a retransmission of the network's programming rather than a locally originated general-entertainment or news schedule.
Financial television programming · 1966
The Business Channel
KWHY's historic financial service provided extended stock-market coverage, market commentary, ticker information, and on-screen pricing data. It was later rebranded through several names, including 22 Business News and Business News 22, before leaving the station in 1999.
Subscription television service · 1978
SelecTV
SelecTV used KWHY as a Los Angeles transmission outlet from 1978 until 1989. Unlike flat-rate subscription competitors, its original model charged subscribers for individual programs, including movies and other premium content.
Spanish-language network affiliation · 2012
MundoFox/MundoMax
KWHY served as a charter affiliate of MundoFox from 2012 and adopted the MundoMax name in 2015. The affiliation ended when the network ceased operations in 2016.
Spanish-language television programming · 1989
KWHY Spanish-language independent programming
During several periods, especially after 1989 and after the end of MundoMax, the station carried Spanish-language films, entertainment, music, game and court programs, and outsourced news.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2025
Transition to full-time Scientology Network broadcastingStrategyBackground
After the ownership transfer, the new owner repositioned the Los Angeles station around the Scientology Network.
Action taken
The station changed its call sign from KWHY-TV to KSCN-TV, began simulcasting the Scientology Network full time, and discontinued its other subchannels.
Aftermath
KSCN-TV became a dedicated Scientology Network outlet while the KWHY identity continued with the related channel-sharing operation.
2024
Sale to Sunset Boulevard BroadcastingM&ABackground
Meruelo Media agreed to sell KWHY-TV as part of a transaction involving the station's channel-sharing arrangement.
Action taken
Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting acquired the station, while Meruelo retained KBEH under the reported structure.
Aftermath
The sale closed in January 2025, followed by a call-sign change and a full-time Scientology Network schedule.
Reported transaction value. 30000000 (2024 reported agreement; closed January 6, 2025)
2012
MundoFox affiliationStrategyBackground
Meruelo Media sought a national Spanish-language network affiliation for the station.
Action taken
KWHY joined MundoFox as a charter affiliate and effectively served as its Los Angeles flagship.
Aftermath
The station later adopted the MundoMax branding before returning to independent Spanish-language programming after the network closed.
Sources2 sources
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