KSCI - 1977 To 1985: Transcendental Meditation

1977 To 1985: Transcendental Meditation

In 1975, the television station Channel 18 became KSCI and began production from a studio in West Los Angeles, while still licensed in San Bernadino. It became a non-profit owned by the Transcendental Meditation movement and the call letters stood for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's theoretical "Science of Creative Intelligence". The station broadcast uplifting news stories, prerecorded lectures by the Maharishi and variety shows with celebrities who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique. KSCI's goal was to report "only good news" and sister stations were planned for San Francisco and Washington DC. The station manager was Mark Fleischer, the son of Richard Fleischer, a Hollywood director.

In 1980 it switched to for-profit and earned $1 million on revenues of $8 million in 1985. In November 1985, the station loaned $350,000 to Maharishi International University in Iowa. As of June 1986 the station's content consisted of "a hodgepodge of programming in 14 languages" that was broadcast on both cable or UHF in Southern California". In October, the station was purchased by its general manager Thomas Headely and investor Ray L. Beindorf for $40.5 million.