Mike Rinder's Blog

Something Can Be Done About It

Scientology.TV: Hit or Miss?

By 67 Comments

They are promoting “Season 4” of scientology.tv.

Of course, their “seasons” consist of a few episodes of the same shows they have been airing since the launch of the “network”. Meet a scientologist. Visit a city where a scientology org is. Wisdom from Ron.

There are no audience figures available as the “network” has no advertisers and is not monitored by any normal tv audience monitoring system. So they claim it’s a roaring success. Like they know what the actual statistics of every ideal org is but because they keep those stats secret they simply claim they are all “expanding 10X” and “clearing their zones.”

But unlike org statistics, there are some “wog” measures of its success. Amazon Alexa ranks sites based on the traffic they get. It is a comparison to other sites, not raw numbers. The lower the number the more visited the site.  Google is #1 with hundreds of millions of users clicking on it every day.

We know they spent tens of millions purchasing and renovating their “state-of-the-art” Scientology Media Productions facility to “make this dream a reality” and that they constantly promote this on billboards in key cities, on promotional pieces they send out and every scientologist is expected to watch and encourage others to watch. We also know that you can watch this on DirecTV without needing to search on the internet (thus DirecTV viewers will not show up on the Alexa rankings). According to the latest numbers, DirecTV has 21 million subscribers in the US which is a small percentage of households.

This is the Alexa ranking for scientology.tv:

There are 170,083 websites that get more hits than scientology.tv. This means very little in the abstract. Is it good or bad?

Well, it’s not good that it is in a consistent decline in audience over the last month and a half.

But the only way to know if this is shit or shinola is by comparing it to others. Here is the Alexa graph for this website:

You can see, it’s a steady increase and has just a little less than half the number of sites that get more traffic than scientology.tv. A LOT more people visit this blog than visit scientology.tv on the internet. You cannot even conclude that it is double the number. The closer you get to #1 the larger the number of visitors. It’s almost exponential.

You can also see that the rank of this blog in the US is significantly higher at 20,666. They do not give this figure for scientology.tv for some reason.

The popularity of scientology.tv can also be measured against the popularity of scientology itself. Scientology has spent huge amounts of money to make scientology.org a “state-of-the-art” website. With tons of slick graphics and video content. They have it linked to hundreds of their own websites and have people devoted to boosting its popularity with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. Scientology constantly promotes how “curious” everyone is about the subject, just DYING to find out what scientology is really all about.

So, here is the most direct comparison to this blog — the Alexa ranking for scientology.org accompanied by a second graph showing where the audience comes from which is also very interesting:

This massively promoted and cultivated site is ranked at 147,145 in the world — way worse than this blog.

Even more significantly, in the US it is beaten by 105,007 sites which is drastically worse than this blog at 20, 665.

Note the huge jump on one day a month and a half ago. And the fact that a quarter of their traffic comes from India and Turkey — two countries that have no scientology organizations but do have cheap labor for click farms. They are not only investing time and money in building and promoting their site, they are buying clicks to increase their rankings. That huge one day jump must have been when the financial approval came through and they transferred the funds to Turkey and India. And even with that, they are not close to beating this blog which I do as a part time, very amateur activity.

Despite their PR about how they are changing the world and clearing the planet and saving mankind, the truth is they are sinking into insignificance. Their words are meaningless. As Hubbard says, STATS ARE EVERYTHING.

Scientology TV is a massive MISS in every respect except one.

The sheeple believe the bs they are fed that this is the “greatest dissemination tool ever” and that the mere fact that it exists is “proof” that they are succeeding and should hand over more money so they can increase the “effectiveness” of their “outreach.”

The ONLY audience for scientology.TV are the clubbed seals of scientology – an audience that is considerably smaller than the audience for this blog.

Comments

  1. Cheap click factories and ordering staff and OT Committees to go in the streets to annoy people, to have them click on a QR code to open Scientology TV, this is the current state of Scientology.
    How far is this from reaching Total Freedom and making people become their better self? After some decades of dedicated service it hurts me to finally open the eyes on this shitty Public Relations machine.

    Reply

  2. Even when I was in the cult I COULD stand listening to those terrible videos the want you to watch even when your just sitting there waiting to see some one. (((((((( GOD AUFFUL BORING!!! And they always turn up the damn volume!!
    Thank God I’m done there!

    Reply

  3. Wow. Really interesting Mike, thanks. Not surprising I guess that the STV stats are so poor, but encouraging.Obviously the whole venture is all for show. (pardon my pun) And gee whiz, whadyaknow…all that new traffic coming from India and Turkey…!

    Reply

  4. In purpose to watch scientologists people need a microscope.

    In purpose to watch critics people need a macroscope.

    We have all arrived to the the world through a mother a father entered and we are all the owner of a planet together to do the best of in our common interest.

    Reply

    • Fastest growing NEGATIVE public perception, that is.

      Scientology; it’s always about negatives, isn’t it?

      Reply

  7. I think a good comparison would be to compare SCTV to free streaming networks that people actually watch and enjoy. For that you need to step out of the COS bubble world and venture into the real world. Here are a handful of my favorites with their Alexa global rankings:

    Tubi TV – 5,805

    Sony Crackle – 22,086

    Pluto TV – 12,338

    IMDB (owned by Amazon) – 53

    These streaming networks are just the tip of a huge and expanding iceberg. There are dozens of other networks that no doubt tower over SCTV.

    To be fair, one might need to look at stats from other streaming networks with religious content. But there’s a problem there. Most major church organizations run their own networks of broadcast and cable programming, and don’t need to offer a streaming programs.

    As usual, the COS beats their chest as big players in the mass media world, when in reality, they’re merely bit part players in some obscure community theater in some remote town that no one has ever heard of. Delusions of grandeur is the term that comes to mind.

    Reply

  8. The cult will always find a way to get money, it is inbred in to it very deeply. They are very good at it. Those that were in know that fact. Those that see the stories and have seen it themselves with friends know that fact. People that were never in that watchs the interviews know that fact

    Everyone needs to keep pushing forward telling the truth about the cult. Eventually, it will have only a few bankrupt ex-millionaires that have proven their worth over time, and kept their “ethics in” by never looking at the internet.

    So sad. So harmful.

    Evil twisted genius, elleraich.

    Reply

  9. David Miscavige spent $100 million on a YouTube channel and called it Scientology TV.

    In terms of YouTube, Scientology put up its channel on September 19, 2006. YT shows the Scientology TV as having 74,321,355 views. I assume the bulk of these views are click farms because Scientology has a documented record of social media fraud, particularly with stats and the phony “stock photo Scientologists” it used to attack Aftermath.

    By way of contrast, the most-viewed video on YT is “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi. This video has garnered a staggering 6.4 billion views since it was posted on January 12, 2017.

    My wife Karen de la Carriere’s YT channel, which she founded on March 26, 2013, just crossed 10 million views. Quite an accomplishment!

    Reply

    • Jeff, Very Well Done to you and Karen. Excellent stats and it represents the number of people seeking the real truth about Scn. And I wouldn’t be surprised if a large number of that are the UTR people who are still in but trapped because they don’t want to risk disconnection of family members if they were to leave.

      Reply

  11. All their efforts on filming Season 4 for their TV network means they haven’t had time to update their main website at scientology.org since last June. The Jehovah’s Witnesses update their site every day.

    Reply

  13. More and more people, including myself, are abandoning DirecTV and cable TV services and moving over to streaming specific channels that they choose. This makes it impossible to ‘bump into’ the Scientology TV channel, to great relief. Again, they offer a service that few want or value.

    Reply

  14. “Season 4” of scientology.tv.

    Ridiculous! Some OSA PR genius or his COBness himself probably came up with this to “out-create” “Scientology and the Aftermath”

    Reply

  15. Crickets? They’re buying crickets? Are they crickets that you eat? I’m a bite confused. Can….what? It’s actually clicks? Sorry everyone. I’m getting confused between crickets and clicks.

    Reply

  16. DM, Here is the solution to the disastrous television channel you currently have. First, cancel your current programming. Second, buy the exclusive rights to I love Lucy. Third, rename your channel the Lucy Channel and run I Love Lucy 24 hours a day. Fourth, get a credible advertising agency to put 60 second spots between programs. Fifth, watch your ratings soar.

    Reply

    • You are being much too media-savvy.
      Davey is not smart enough to sandwich what he wants you to see with what you want to see. Simple if you are a business-person, but no so for the uneducated.

      Reply

  17. O/T. This is breaking news on a subject that is important, even leaving aside Scientology.

    The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office calls on President Trump to reverse his decision allowing Turkey to invade Northeastern Syria.

    This is a quick response by the Church of Scientology to a breaking news situation. The Turkish invasion of Northeastern Syria began on October 10, 2019, only one day befoe the date of the letter. The Church of Scientology Natonal Affairs Office signed the letter. Also recall, the International Religious Freedom Roundtable was founded by Scientology lobbyist Greg Mitchell.

    To my recollection, this is the first time the Church of Scientology has broken with the Trump administration or criticized it, even if impliedly.

    Tweet: https://twitter.com/ISNOINews/status/1183413061266345989

    ESMB Redux post with full information: https://exscn2.net/threads/position-papers-letters-and-petitions-signed-by-the-church-of-scientology-national-affairs-office.151/post-5137

    /

    Reply

    • Why would they comment on that? Just trying to get attention any way they can? It seems like everyone disagrees with that decision so it’s not a leap of faith to criticize it…

      Reply

  18. Mike, love the blog but your numbers for DirectTV subscribers looks wrong. You have it as 1.8 million, I believe it’s more likely to be 18 million. However it doesn’t takeaway from your overall point.

    Reply

  19. I’m not sure I’ve ever gone to the COS website. Much like a back-street prostitute, I’d be afraid of the diseases that might befall me.

    I do have Direct TV and have visited their channel a few times. I’m not sure I’ve ever spent over 2 minutes watching. Now that would be a statistic I’d love to see–how long someone actually watches a show. Even COS doesn’t have enough money to get Turkey/India to do that.

    Reply

  20. Buying clicks to increase the image of success is so Scientology: deception!

    DM must know this. I sense he is getting a bit stressed.

    Pray for the destruction of Scientology with the truth about it. The greatest weapon against this societal pariah is the truth about its real nature: deception, lies and family destroying.

    Reply

    • Click Farms!
      That makes total sense. More of Scientology’s fraud and deception.
      The only things regarding Scientology that are expanding are foreign CLICK FARMS.
      It keeps Scientology working (keeps the sheeple under the influence).

      Reply

  21. I wasn’t aware of the click farms of Turkey and India, but the moment I enlarged that graphic it became clear to me. I wonder if the people buying that click traffic realize how few people check Internet rankings. Is the money coming out of tax exempt funds? I shudder to think the IRS would approve of such a religious expense.
    Could someone be buying click traffic just to show Miscavige a better stat? Imagine being so insecure, or incompetent, that you need to pay someone to tell you lies so you’ll feel bigger, stronger, better…
    That’s Scientology, always worse than you ever imagined.

    Reply

  22. $cientology PR was always smoke and mirrors. Miscavige could have entered the PR fray by just setting up a youtube channel, but no, they had to try true mass marketing. Just throw a lot of mis-spent money at a perceived problem and declare it fixed. Yeah, that is wisdom of Lron speaking.

    Reply

    • They’ve had a YouTube channel for about a decade, and much of what is on ScnTV is just material recycled from that – lots of the “meet a scientologist” type pieces, anti-psych “documentaris” and so on were first put up on YouTube and their main websites years ago. The Hubbard narrated photo biography series that they did and the similar one about his teachings were the only things that were completely new; the first was just 3 episodes, and they’ve only ever produced about a dozen short episodes of the second.

      Excluding the propaganda pieces that they were already set up to churn out, I’m not sure they’ve ever produced more than about 10 hours of new content specifically for ScnTV. Plus of course there are the independent filmmaker documentaries that they are buying to show.

      I just had a look for the first time in a long time, and one of the first things I saw was the infamous old banjo maker piece being recycled for the umpteenth time.

      Reply

  23. Scientology required that pre-Internet anonymity in order to bamboozle needy people. Once laid bare online there is no place for them to go or hide and only the defiantly gullible and weak-minded can be persuaded by the sci-fi/fantasy gibberish of L. Con Cultturd.

    Knowledge is key to avoid getting wrapped up in any life-sucking cult. It’s sad so many get caught up into it before they realize their grievous error.

    Reply

  24. “Free speech” allows these criminals to bilk people of millions, commit violence and abuse, and promote lies, so the only way to curtail this insidious poison is to also speak publicly about those tragedies. Only then do the crimes get the attention of the law.

    It is hard to understand how harmful speech can be until you examine cults. Or the history of WWII.

    We truly hope breaking down the blackout curtains behind which these people operate can be successfully done through more and more people sharing the truth. Again and again, thank you for giving hope to so many victims!

    Reply

    • Hello Lynne. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you make any posts before. But you really hit home with me when you said, ” …… allows these criminals to bilk people of millions, commit violence and abuse and promote lies, so the only way to curtail this insidious poison is to also speak publicly about those tragedies. Only then do the crimes get the attention of the law.”

      Bravo!

      Reply

  25. I loves me bashing the “fair game” scientology cult and have done so for many years anonymously online through a VPN server where — even if Miscavige and his minions could get an IP address to then try and track me down and harass me — they couldn’t find me. Love calling all their facilities too from burner phones, and visiting them onsite to “learn about scientology” in long and drawn out elaborately staged events spanning multiple visits. Don’t worry folks, I always get Uber or Lyft dropped these days so they can’t get my car tag. In the past I would just get a friend to drop me off.

    It’s a strange “hobby” and a time consuming one I have to admit, but it’s a fun one. I guess I’m what a cult member might call an “SP from Hell”.

    So Mr. Miscavige … I’m sure you lurk this blog and read Rinder’s posts and all the comments. What about it? Anything you’d like to say to the SP From Hell?

    I’ve got big plans for the future, because at this point I am getting somewhat bored and had to come up with a program to regain that initial rush I got doing this in the beginning. I also got some money from a nice inheritance so that’s going to help. I have more money and more time now.

    Reply

    • SP From Hell-wonderful hobby and congrats on having the circumstantial wherewithall and motivation to continue doing it. There’s definitely a book to be written in your “Mission Impossible” adventures; hoping to see it emerge from your courageous forays. The creative strategizing you describe staying ahead of OSA while infiltrating Co$ facilities, events and activities equal any detective thriller I’ve seen or read. Please keep us readers in the loop and be careful-we know all too well the vicious depths Fair Gaming will go to in attempting to destroy the Heroes of the Heart who turn over the rocks and expose the Co$ vermin for who they are.
      I salute you!

      Reply

    • Sounds like a lot of Dev-T is being generated. The cult members probably welcome the diversion from their meaningless lives.

      Reply

  27. I concur, the only reason Miscavige keeps the appearance that his cult is expanding, either with his Ideal Orgs. or the TV, is to keep the parishioners busy giving him money, and more money, and more money.
    The rest, he could not care less.

    And I also concur with the success of this blog – keeps us up informed with facts, witty remarks and overall united in exposing the crimes and abuses of the so called religion. Thank you for that.

    Reply

  28. DOUBLE EDGE SWORD

    Just wanted to share some news with everyone. A good friend about 15 years “my junior” was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure (genetics). Four years ago he was scheduled for a heart transplant, but “lost that chance” when he developed a serious health problem. Instead, an LVAD was placed in his chest cavity and he’s managed to work his FULL time job and carry on in life the best he was able to

    He’s recently gotten a SECOND CHANCE for a heart transplant, and this was done a few days ago. I simply ask that you THINK of him and the YOUNG MAN’S family who donated THEIR SON’S heart so my BFF could continue on in his life.

    Double Edge Sword….YES, tears of joy for my friend, his wife & children…Tears of sadness for the young man who passed away……yet through their OWN grief, his family donated their son’s organs so that others would have a chance to continue their own lives.

    Way to go “Matty”….and my forever gratefulness to that special young man’s family

    Reply

    • Thank you for sharing this. It is a wonderful thing. I hope everyone opts to donate their organs in the event of death. My mother had a heart transplant and it gave her 15 years of life.

      Reply

      • You are welcome Mike….that was my intention. Matt has suffered many years with CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)..he even had to FIGHT to KEEP his job. Only through the grace of a high power and a LVAD has he managed to get through these last four years.

        I am happy to say at the end of July, even with LVAD still keeping him going….. Matty was able to walk his daughter down the aisle for her wedding!….a feat he didn’t think he’d make.

        We hope and pray it all works out…we’ve been friends for about 30 years….& he is an outstanding man. Eve with his own ill health, & working his 40 hour week….he’s been loving, caring & kind enough in helping the community with being with our local Volunteer Fire Dept AND EMS….. seriously, WHO does that!

        Again, my gratitude to the family of the young man’s parents who despite their OWN loss, made a truly magnificent GIFT to many others….they shall remain in our prayers.

        Reply

      • I’d be glad to offer up any and all organs that you need, at the time of my death. And then it’s: Party Time!

        Reply

        • OSD….thank you my friend…..HHHmmmm……I’ve recently learned that donations from people in OUR age group a/k/a/ “old organs” in transplant won’t last as long as organs donated from a YOUNG person…. Wow, sure as Hell doesn’t pay to get old.

          Reply

          • It’d s a true fact. Then again, with the new rules on who gets organs, those “old” organs (also known as Extended Donor Criteria organs) May be the ones we are likely to qualify for as we get older. I’m a recipient myself, with a kidney I received 8 1/2 years ago from a deceased donor who was a few years older than I and only a 1 out of 6 HLA antigen match to boot. I know a lot more than most people want to know or ought to know about organs, transplants, the list, and everything to do with it. I was 51 when I got Bimaaji (which means “who gives life” in Ashinaabe; my Native sister is responsible for the name.) I’m now nearing 60. Chances that I’ll need another kidney sometime are pretty good, and extended donor criteria kidneys are likely to be my only chance at an organ, since who’s going to waste a 35 year old’s kidney in a 65 year old or older woman?

            Don’t take your organs with you when you leave this plane of existence; we need them here, no matter how old you are.

            Reply

            • AMEN my friend! May you continue to enjoy every moment! A GIFT of an extended LIFE is a remarkable accomplishment & every family who has been a donor or donor recipient….BLESS all of you.

              We KNOW that no one will receive a new “meat body”…but for 100% clarity…please please please register to be an organ donor no matter what your age is….thank you!

              Reply

    • Thank you for sharing what was the best possible outcome of a tragedy…and allowed someone to continue living life on this earth. Glad to know your BFF will be around a lot longer, Balletlady.

      Reply

  30. Hopefully the drain on finances in keeping the white whale going will significantly weaken the cult. While I know they seem to have endless monetary reserves, no one can run forever when new funds stop coming in. The whales are aging, and with all of the lawsuits and the bad publicity, I imaging some are starting to back away slowly from the orgs.

    If the majority of the money is tied up in real estate, and the rest is spent in trying to gain new people and donations, eventually there should be a cash deficit. I’m going to assume it will happen. Even if it takes awhile- the balance sheets will eventually make some of these things impossible to continue. However- I doubt seriously that Miscavige will ever admit to failure. That means he will continue to promote the tv channel and continue to pour massive amounts of money into it. That should shorten the duration of the cult…..hopefully

    BTW- we still have some bumper stickers. (They are free and removable). If you want one let me know – DM me your info at Twitter- @KatLaRue7

    Reply

    • Kat, unfortunately the CofS’ hoarded wealth could get them further than might be thought. If they still have a billion dollars or so in liquid reserves, as various information and estimates have indicated, properly invested that would yield up to $50 million per year, or around $350,000 per org, to keep things running even in the absence of significant membership or new donations.

      That’s why actions like you and others are undertaking, and the general efforts to get out the truth about Scientology, are still critical to ending the CofS’ abuses and crimes. We don’t know their financial situation for certain, and can’t count on it deteriorating; and unknowns like, say, Tom Cruise leaving his estimated approximately half billion dollar fortune to them could change things unpredictably.

      Reply

  31. Scientology used to operate behind a thick velvet curtain, and only the core staff really knew what was going on. But now, thanks to you Mike, and others in the posse of lunatics, the church operates behind a thin veil of gauze…transparent to all but the most gullible. Thank you for your diligence, and for this blog.

    Reply

    • Well said. This world should count its blessings for people who take the kind of action that Mike and Leah have taken. You are so right, Zola.

      Reply

  32. The “greatest dissemination tool ever” is not really disseminating anything, is it? (other than a lot of money) Anyone who turns it on will instantly see that it’s an infomercial. People don’t stop and watch infomercials.

    Apart from this, the Scientology-produced programs are laughably corny. As I was channel surfing the other night, I came upon a program that was basically describing SPs… a guy who saw the rest of his office bathed in red lighting, and coworkers who looked like grey aliens (lol, ironic for a UFO cult)

    The bubble dwellers don’t understand that the content on Scientology TV is genuinely, objectively bad. The public isn’t going to watch this B-Movie stuff, even if he has a lot of well done fancy graphics. The public doesn’t care how many million miles of cable there is a GE or how state of the art their production studio is, how many millions of square feet of scientology books they can print, or how impregnable their bunker is where LRH’s ramblings are preserved for eternity.

    The content on Scientology TV sucks. That’s why they’ve had to go outside to get content. What they have sucks and no one is going to watch it.

    Reply

    • I think it’s turned into a running joke outside of Scientology. You are right- no one wants to watch this boring self aggrandizing propaganda crap. Except maybe the lunatic fringe and they can only bring more crazy to an already insane cult. I also think that many people in Scientology recognize that this entire premise is ridiculous but- like the fairy tale- they can’t tell the emperor that he’s stark naked.

      Reply

    • I know someone in the bubble who thinks it sucks too, so there is hope. On the other hand they think normal TV sucks as well and got rid of it 7 years ago.

      Reply

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