HOLLYWOOD-KCET Television has sold its 105,000-square-foot studio on 4.5 acres at 4401 W. Sunset Blvd. to the Church of Scientology for an undisclosed sum. The TV station, which is struggling financially and is in transition from PBS to independent, says it will lease the facility for up to a year before moving to new facilities. KCET was represented by Tom Cherry, Will Adams and Paul Stockwell of CB Richard Ellis, with the buyer represented by John Repstad of Binswanger Realty Advisory Group.

KCET, which is the nation's largest independent public television station, announced today that it has sold its production facility to the Church of says that it "will remain in full operation in the Los Angeles area and is in active discussions with several unidentified production facilities." In new faciities, KCET president and CEO Al Jerome says in an announcement regarding the sale, the station will "further expand its programming and digital footprint across multiple media platforms."

Jerome said that the station is implementing phase two of its transformation from a PBS affiliate to an independent. The station announced last year that it would become an independent as the result of "KCET and PBS' inability to reach an agreement on a reduction in PBS fees and greater programming flexibility."

Jerome, in the announcement regarding the move to independent, said that, "After four decades as the West Coast flagship PBS station, this is not a decision we made lightly. We have been in discussions with PBS for over three years about the need to address challenges that are unique to our market as well as our station."

By going independent, KCET is addressing issues unique within the PBS system, the station said. It noted that its PBS dues were increased by 40% because of its extraordinarily successful fundraising effort on behalf of A Place of Our Own/Los Ni