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Indie TV station KCET has had a big year so far, after breaking from PBS and selling their historic Los Feliz-area studios to the Church Scientology. Next year, the station will pack up and move to beautiful downtown Burbank, to a building called The Pointe that was once a part of the NBC campus, according to the LA Times.The Pointe is a 14-story office building located on Alameda. They will have new equipment in two production studios, as their old equipment was part of the sale deal with the Church of Scientology for their Sunset Boulevard property, which went for an undisclosed sum. However, the new space is approximately 55,000 square feet, nearly half as much space as their approximately 105,000 square feet at their current studio. They will lease 1 and 1/2 stories of the Pointe.
KCET has had a hard time getting viewership since cutting ties with PBS and their popular, stalwart programming. However, the station's finances are, according to KCET President Al Jerome, doing well. Jerome has said they are "debt free" and are "in very good shape" financially, and can thus afford making the big move.
The move is expected to happen in early 2012. They must vacate their current facility, which they rent from the Church of Scientology, by April.
